独身
dokushin[do̞kɯ̟̊ɕĩɴ]
The English phrase 'single' can be translated into Japanese as 独身 (dokushin).
独身 is a noun used to describe one who is not married. It can be used to describe a person's marital status, but unlike the English word 'single', it does not necessarily imply whether or not the person is in a romantic relationship. A common expression is 独身貴族 (single aristocrat), which describes a single person who enjoys a luxurious or comfortable lifestyle without the responsibilities of a family.
Meaning: one who is not married (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 独身 is composed of the characters 独 (alone/solitary) and 身 (body/self).
Did you know?
- In Japan, some companies have historically offered a 独身手当 or 'single allowance' to employees who are not married to help them save for future wedding costs.
- Japanese has a specific term 婚活 (marriage hunting) for the active process of trying to move from 独身 to married, which is treated almost like a job search.
- If you want to say someone is 'single' in the sense of being 'unattached' or 'available' for dating, Japanese speakers often use different terms like フリー (free) instead of 独身.
Examples in context
- 独身ですか。Are you single?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is single using 独身.Tatoeba #123421 by tommy_san, translation #280576 by CK
- まだ独身だよ。I'm still single.This sentence is useful for stating that you are still single using 独身.Tatoeba #10861002 by bunbuku, translation #36300 by CK
- トムは独身です。Tom is single.This sentence is useful for stating that Tom is single using 独身.Tatoeba #4308924 by bunbuku, translation #2203356 by CK
- 33 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are talking about their personal lives at a party.
- 結衣 Yui健太さんは独身ですか？Kenta-san wa dokushin desu ka?Kenta, are you single?
- 健太 Kentaはい、まだ独身です。Hai, mada dokushin desu.Yes, I'm still single.
- 結衣 Yuiそうなんですね。私も独身です。Sō nan desu ne. Watashi mo dokushin desu.I see. I am single too.
- 健太 Kentaいいですね。Ii desu ne.That's nice.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 独身, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
