Basic counting sense: a single human being. Often used with counters or in contexts specifying numbers of people.
Only one person didn't come to the meeting.
Our names were called one by one.
Only with reading ひとり
State of being alone, without others. Often used in phrases like 一人で (alone, by oneself) or 一人になる (to be alone).
See also: 一人で
He lives alone.
Sometimes I want to be alone.
Only with reading ひとり
Specifically refers to being unmarried or without a partner. Often used with 独り.
He is still single.
Being single isn't so bad either.
Only with reading ひとり
Adverbial use: doing something alone, without help or company. Often 一人で.
I can do this work by myself.
She likes traveling alone.
Only with reading ひとり
Used with a negative sentence to mean 'not just/only/simply'. Usually written in kana. Emphasizes that something is not limited to a single aspect.
This problem is not just Japan's problem.
His failure is not solely his responsibility.
The kids moved out, and I was left alone at home.
There isn't even a single student in this classroom.
Only one person came to this party.
孤独 carries an emotional sense of loneliness or isolation, whereas 一人 simply states the neutral fact of being alone.
一人 is the everyday word for being alone or a single person, while 単身 is more formal and stresses being unaccompanied by family or helpers, often in official contexts like job transfers.
一人で simply means 'alone' or 'by oneself' in a neutral sense, while 独り carries a stronger nuance of solitude or independence.
一人 just means 'one person' or 'alone' with no emotional weight, whereas 独りぼっち emphasizes the sad feeling of being left alone.
一人 simply means 'one person' in a general counting sense, while 一員 specifically frames that person as part of a group or organization.
大勢 means 'a large crowd of people', the opposite of 一人 meaning just a single person.
一人 means 'one person, alone', the opposite of 二人とも which stresses that both of two people are involved.
人中 describes being among people, whereas 独り describes being alone, away from others.
一人 means 'one person,' the direct opposite in number to 二人, which means 'two people.'
一人 is the plain, neutral word for 'one person', while お一人様 is the polite form that shop and restaurant staff use when addressing or counting a single customer.
一人 is the noun meaning 'one person,' while 一人で is the adverbial form meaning 'alone' or 'by oneself'; learners often drop the で by mistake.
一人 counts people (one person), while 一つ counts things or items in general, so learners must not swap the two counters.
一人 is the ordinary word used to count one person, while 一人物 is a formal noun for a single figure or character in writing, not for everyday counting.
Numerical variant, common in statistics, forms, and contexts where Arabic numerals are used.
Emphasizes aloneness or singleness; especially natural for 'being alone' and 'being single/unmarried'.
one person's portion; serving for one
single-seat constituency; single-seat electoral district
sleeping alone
travelling alone; solitary journey
for one person; single-user; single-serving
taking for granted; rash conclusion
solo dance; dance performed by one person
Chloranthus japonicus