Proverb / Kotowaza
同床異夢
To be in the same position or working together while having different thoughts or hidden goals.
Sleeping in the same bed but seeing different dreams
Quick Answer
To be in the same position or working together while having different thoughts or hidden goals.
- Literal Image
- Sleeping in the same bed but seeing different dreams
- How to Use It
- Used when describing colleagues, business partners, or groups who look like they are collaborating but lack a shared vision or are working for their own benefit.
Meaning
This expression describes a situation where people who are in the same position, organization, or partnership are actually pursuing different goals or have conflicting intentions. Although they appear to be unified and working toward the same end, their internal motivations and perspectives are completely separate.
Literal Image
Sleeping in the same bed but seeing different dreams
How to Use It
Used when describing colleagues, business partners, or groups who look like they are collaborating but lack a shared vision or are working for their own benefit.
Tone
Carries a critical or skeptical nuance regarding the actual unity of a group or partnership.
Examples
呉越同舟の彼らは、まさに同床異夢の関係だ。
Although they are in the same boat, they clearly have different hidden agendas.
合併した両社だが、同床異夢で足並みが揃わない。
The two merged companies are out of step because they both have different goals.
表面上は仲良くしているが、実際は同床異夢だ。
They get along on the surface, but in reality, they each have their own separate intentions.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
This is a four-character idiomatic compound (yojijukugo) that uses formal kanji. While the literal meaning is easy to visualize, its usage in professional and social commentary requires advanced vocabulary knowledge.
同床
どうしょう / doushou
same bed
異夢
いむ / imu
different dreams
Usage Profile
Usage note: Be careful when using this to describe friends, as it implies a lack of true trust or shared purpose.
Misread Risk
Do not use this to describe literal dreams or sleeping arrangements; it is strictly a metaphor for differing intentions among people in the same situation.
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Related Proverbs
Origin
This expression originates from poetry collections and literature from the Song dynasty in China.
Index
Topics, Situations, and Tags
Topics
Situations
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Source Note
Where did this entry get its data from? The reference links are listed below. To understand how to read this section, see Data Sources.