Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 が 単たん 独どく で 〈 動どう 詞し 〉 for someone to do something alone/independently
He climbed the mountain alone.
単たん 独どく 首しゅ 位い に 立た つ to take sole first place
That team took sole first place.
単たん 独どく インタビューに 応おう じる to agree to an exclusive interview
The president agreed to an exclusive interview.
単たん 独どく では 〈 動どう 詞し 〉 できない cannot do something on one's own/by itself alone
This problem cannot be solved by ourselves alone.
Expressions 単たん 独どく で independently; alone; by oneself; single-handedly Kanji 独 single, alone, spontaneously Related words· 7 独立 stresses formal autonomy or self-governance (a country or organization becoming independent), while 単独 simply stresses that only one person or entity is involved.
単一 describes something uniform or single in composition or kind, whereas 単独 describes acting alone or a single party being involved.
一人 specifically means one person or a person being alone, while 単独 can also describe groups, companies, devices, or abstract situations acting as a single unit.
単体 describes something being a single, standalone unit or item, while 単独 emphasizes acting alone or independently rather than the item's composition.
Show 3 more Show fewer 単独 is the common, everyday word for acting or being alone, while 単行 is a stiffer, less frequent term usually found in compounds like 単行本 .
単独 means 'independently/solo' and is used for actions or operations done without others' involvement, while 単身 specifically highlights a person moving or living without family.
単独 is a general word for acting alone or independently (not limited to performance), while ソロ is often specifically about music or a lone activity done for enjoyment.
Opposites 共同 means joint or done together with others, the direct opposite of 単独 , which means done alone or by a single party.
単独 means acting or signing alone, the opposite of 連名 's sense of multiple people signing together.
単独 means acting or existing alone, the opposite of being part of a 群れ (group).
単独 describes acting alone, the opposite of 一味 , which describes acting together as part of a gang.
Word family· 20 solitary confinement cell; isolation cell
lone criminal; sole perpetrator · crime carried out by one person
solo hiking; solo climbing; solo travel
unilateralism
single-vehicle accident; single-vehicle collision
Show 5 more Show fewer exclusive interview; solo press conference
sole supply; monopoly supplier
one-party cabinet
acting alone in committing a crime; sole perpetrator
unconsolidated balance sheet; single-company balance sheet
See all 20 in Explore →
Etymology A Sino-Japanese compound written with 単 , associated with 'single,' and 独 , associated with 'alone' or 'independent.' The spelling transparently matches the modern meaning.
Report an issue with this page
Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
