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Kotomora

単

simple, one, single, merely

JLPTN3StatusJōyō · grade 4FrequencyTop 1,000Strokes9

Readings

On'yomi

  • タン

Kun'yomi

  • ひとえ

Meaning

単 centers on the idea of being uncomplicated or alone: something simple, single, or merely itself without extra parts.

Most common words using 単

20 of 401
  • 簡単かんたん
    N5

    simple; easy; uncomplicated

  • 単位たんい
    N3

    unit (e.g. meters, grams, etc.); denomination

  • 単純たんじゅん
    N3

    simple; plain; uncomplicated; straightforward; simple-minded; naive

  • 単にたんに
    N3

    simply; merely; only; solely

  • 単なるたんなる
    N3

    mere; simple; sheer

  • 単語たんご
    N3

    word; vocabulary

  • 単たん

    single; simple

  • 単独たんどく
    N1

    sole; single; solo

  • 単体たんたい

    simple substance (e.g. chemical)

  • 単行たんこう

    going alone; travelling by oneself

  • 単発たんぱつ

    firing one shot at a time; single-shot gun

  • 単行本たんこうぼん
    N1

    standalone book (i.e. not part of an anthology, series, etc.); (book published as a) single volume

  • 単価たんか

    unit price; unit cost

  • 単身たんしん
    N1

    alone; by oneself; unaccompanied; unaided; single-handed; without one's family

  • 単一たんいつ
    N1

    single; simple; sole; individual; unitary

  • 単勝たんしょう

    winning at the races

  • 単品たんぴん

    individual item (i.e. not part of a set); single article

  • 英単語えいたんご

    English word

  • 単調たんちょう
    N1

    monotony; monotone; dullness

  • 単色たんしょく

    single colour (color); monochrome

Explore all words using 単 →

Study

Etymology

単 is the modern simplified form of 單. The older form is thought to depict a simple net or a single object, but the exact historical development is uncertain.

Meaning mnemonic

The top ⺌ looks like a simple pair of eyes, and the bottom 田 is a field. Imagine a single person standing alone in a field, with nothing else around—just one simple scene.

Reading mnemonic

For タン, picture a single tan-colored leaf in the field: tan -> タン, and it's the only one there, simple and alone.