同志

tóngzhì

HSK 7

同志 — tóngzhì

1. comrade (used in political/official contexts)

   在那个时代，人们常把彼此称为同志。 zài nàge shídài rénmen cháng bǎ bǐcǐ chēngwéi tóngzhì — In that era, people often called each other 'comrade'.

2. (slang) homosexual; gay

   他公开出柜后，朋友们称他为同志而不是用贬义词。 tā gōngkāi chū guì hòu péngyǒu men chēng tā wèi tóngzhì ér búshì yòng biǎnyìcí — After he came out publicly, friends called him 'tongzhi' rather than using derogatory words.