Usage patterns 単たん 純じゅん な 〈 事こと 〉 a simple matter/issue
Actually, it's not that simple a matter.
単たん 純じゅん に 〈 動どう 詞し 〉 to simply do ~ / to (do something) without overthinking
The failure was caused by thinking about it too simplistically.
〈 人ひと 〉 は 単たん 純じゅん だ (a person) is simple-minded/naive
He's such a simple person that he gets pleased the moment someone flatters him.
Kanji 純 genuine, purity, innocence Related words 簡単 focuses on ease or lack of difficulty, while 単純 focuses on structural simplicity or lack of depth, and can also describe a naive person.
素朴 describes something plain, rustic, or unsophisticated (like a design or personality), whereas 単純 is more neutral and can apply to logic, structure, or explanations too.
単純 means 'simple' in the sense of uncomplicated or even naive, sometimes carrying a negative nuance, whereas シンプル is more neutral and often positive.
単純 describes something uncomplicated or even naively simple, whereas 簡易 focuses on a practical, deliberately simplified version of something.
単純 describes something simple or uncomplicated in structure, while 平たい in this sense specifically refers to plain, easy-to-follow wording or explanation.
Opposites complex; complicated; intricate; mixed (feelings)
単純 describes something simple and uncomplicated, the opposite of 凝った , which describes something elaborately worked out.
単純 describes something as simple or straightforward, the opposite quality to 複雑さ , the degree of being complicated.
Don't confuse with 単調 means 'monotonous, repetitive' (focused on tedium), while 単純 means 'simple' (focused on lack of complexity), though both start with the kanji 単 .
単純 means 'simple' (in nature or complexity), whereas 単一 means 'single' (in number or composition); they share the kanji 単 but describe different qualities.
単純 means simple or uncomplicated, while 純粋 means pure or genuine; the two are often confused because they share the character 純 and similar sounds.
Word family· 29 Show 5 more Show fewer simple word; simplex
simple work; repetitive job; unskilled work; menial work
unskilled labor; simple labor; menial work
simple average; arithmetic mean
unconditional acceptance of an inheritance
See all 29 in Explore →
Etymology Composed of 単 (simple, single) and 純 (pure, genuine). The combination conveys the idea of something unadulterated and straightforward.
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