Translation guide
How to express that someone or something is alone, cut off, or separate from others in Japanese. The best choice depends on whether you mean physical isolation, emotional loneliness, or something happening as a single case.
Describing a person, place, or thing that is physically separated from others, often in a remote location.
Used for people, groups, or places that are physically cut off from others. Often implies lack of support or connection.
The village is isolated in the mountains.
Stronger nuance of being completely cut off, often geographically or socially. More literary.
The island is isolated from the outside world.
Specifically for places far from human habitation, like a remote cabin.
We stayed in an isolated mountain hut.
Feeling lonely, cut off from others emotionally, or lacking social connections.
Describes a feeling of loneliness or being alone, often with a negative emotional tone. Can be used for people or situations.
He leads an isolated life in the city.
Also used for social isolation, like being ostracized or without allies.
He is isolated in his class.
More colloquial and emotional, emphasizing being all alone. Often used by children or in casual speech.
I'm lonely being all alone.
Referring to something that happens only once, is not part of a pattern, or is considered separately.
Can be used for events or facts that are separate and unconnected to others.
It's an isolated incident.
Literally 'single-shot', used for one-off events or non-recurring things.
Treat it as an isolated case.
Means 'rare', can imply an isolated occurrence when context is clear.
It's an isolated case.
A language with no known relatives.
孤立 (koritsu) emphasizes being cut off from others physically or socially, often with a nuance of lacking support. 孤独 (kodoku) focuses on the emotional feeling of loneliness. You can be 孤独 even when surrounded by people, but 孤立 usually implies actual separation.
Feel lonely in the middle of the city.
He was isolated from his peers.
The English word 'isolated' is sometimes borrowed as アイソレーテッド (aisoreetiddo) in technical contexts like electronics, but it is not natural for describing people or places. Use the Japanese terms above instead.
バスク語は孤立語だ。
Basque is an isolated language.