Translation guide
How to say 'one person' in Japanese, covering counting people, referring to a single individual, and expressions for 'alone' or 'by oneself'.
Use the counter for people: 一人 (hitori). This is the standard way to say 'one person' when counting or specifying the number of people.
The standard counter for one person. Used in almost all contexts: reservations, head counts, etc.
Express doing something alone or being alone, using 一人で (hitori de) or 独りで (hitori de).
Means 'alone' or 'by oneself'. Used with verbs to indicate doing something without company.
一人で映画を見た。
I watched a movie by myself.
彼は一人で住んでいる。
He lives alone.
Kanji form emphasizing solitude or loneliness. Often used in literary or emotional contexts.
独りの夜は長い。
A night alone is long.
Refer to 'one person' as a single individual, often in contrast to a group or when specifying a role.
Formal counter for one person, used in official documents, registers, or announcements.
一名様ご案内ください。
One guest, please come this way.
Literally 'one human being', used to emphasize the individual as a person, often in philosophical or reflective contexts.
一人の人間として尊重されるべきだ。
One should be respected as an individual human being.
Emphasize that there is only a single person, using 一人だけ (hitori dake) or たった一人 (tatta hitori).
Means 'only one person'. だけ adds the meaning of 'only' or 'just'.
パーティーに来たのは一人だけだった。
Only one person came to the party.
Emphatic 'only one person', often with a nuance of loneliness or scarcity.
たった一人で戦う。
Fight all alone.
The counter 一つ (hitotsu) is for inanimate objects. Using it for people is incorrect. Always use 一人 (hitori) for one person.
一人 is the standard way to write 'one person' or 'alone'. 独り uses a kanji that specifically means 'alone' and can carry a nuance of solitude or loneliness. In most everyday situations, 一人 is preferred.
私は一人です。
I am alone.
一人で予約できますか？
Can I make a reservation for one person?