How to say "unmarried" in Japanese

Choosing the right word

独身どくしんJLPT N3approx.Common
no-adjectiveCovers the everyday 'single' sense: a person's present status is unmarried, with no hint about whether marriage is planned or expected. Use it when describing yourself or someone else in conversation.
彼かれは一生いっしょう独身どくしんで過すごした。↗
He remained single all his life.
未婚みこんJLPT N1approx.Common
no-adjectiveCovers 'not yet married', with the nuance that marriage still lies ahead; it suits neutral, descriptive statements of marital status. To say plainly that someone is single, 独身 is the natural word.
その実験じっけんは未婚みこんの男性だんせい１００人にんを対象たいしょうに行おこなわれた。↗
The experiment was made on a hundred unmarried males.

Use 独身 for the plain statement that someone is single or not married; use 未婚 when you mean 'not yet married', with marriage viewed as still ahead, as in neutral descriptions of marital status.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese equivalents

独身どくしんunmarried
未婚みこんunmarried
非婚ひこんunmarried (by choice)

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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