一種
Meanings
a kind; a sort; a variety; a species
Used to classify something as one kind or member of a broader category; common in patterns like XはYの一種だ.
Basil is a kind of herb.
Dolphins are a type of animal in the whale family.
a sort of; of sorts; something of a
Used as 一種の... to describe something figuratively or loosely, rather than as a strict category.
His silence was a sort of protest.
This is something of a gamble.
sort of; somewhat
Adverbial use without の, often before adjectives or adjectival nouns, adding a sense of 'somewhat' or 'in a certain peculiar way.'
A somewhat strange tension hung over the venue.
That story has a sort of mysterious persuasiveness.
Usage patterns
- 〈物〉は〈物〉の一種だX is a kind/type of Y
Dolphins are a kind of mammal.
- 一種の〈物〉a sort of ~; something like a ~
I think that's a sort of art.
- 一種〈形容詞〉な〈物〉a somewhat/peculiarly ~ (thing)
There's a somewhat strange charm to his story.