単 (dān) - single & alone

単Tone 1

dān ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

単 · dān

single;

alone;

odd number;

simple;

unlined clothing;

list;

bill;

thin;

weak

singlealoneodd number

Usage highlights

Single personSimple taskOdd numberItemized billThin clothingSingle item

Synonyms

  • 单— Chinese simplified form of the same character
  • 獨— alone, solitary
  • 簡— simple, brief

Antonyms

  • 雙— double, pair
  • 複— complex, multiple
  • 多— many, much

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • A single person(単独)
  • Simple task(単純な作業)
  • Odd number(奇数)
  • Itemized bill(明細書)
  • Thin clothing(薄着)

Collocations

  • Single person(単独)
  • Simple task(単純)
  • Odd number(奇数)
  • Itemized bill(明細)
  • Thin clothing(薄着)
  • Single item(単品)

Idioms

  • Single-handedly accomplished(単刀直入)
  • Simple and straightforward(単純明快)
  • Single-minded devotion(一途)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Used in Japanese as a simplified form of 單 (traditional) and 单 (simplified Chinese)
  • Commonly appears in Japanese texts and names
  • Carries connotations of simplicity and singularity in both Chinese and Japanese contexts

FAQ