How to say "single" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- no-adjectiveThe loanword, covering everyday concrete senses of 'single': a single room or bed, and by extension someone who is unmarried. It is what you see on hotel room-type menus.
- 単たんprefixGlossed 'single; simple', but essentially a combining element rather than an independent word, so it is seldom what you reach for on its own to say 'single' in a sentence.
- 個室こしつnounCovers only the 'single (room)' sense: a room for one person, such as a hotel single, or a private room one has to oneself, as at a restaurant. It names the room, not 'single' generally.
- 単一たんいつna-adjective, no-adjectiveFor 'single' meaning one single unit or whole rather than several, or 'sole': it describes something that consists of just one element or is one single entity.
- 単独たんどくno-adjective, na-adjectiveFor 'single' in the sense of solo or alone: one person or thing acting by itself, without companions or others — traveling alone, acting single-handedly, standing alone.
Use 「シングル」 for everyday loanword senses such as room and bed types, 個室 for a single or private room, 単一 for one single unified whole, 単独 for acting alone; standalone 単 is seldom the word you want.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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