単
単 — Simple
simple, one, single, merely
On’yomiタン (tan)
Kun’yomiひとえ (hitoe)
Stroke order (9 strokes)
Watch the strokes draw themselves in the correct order — numbers mark where each stroke starts. Diagram from KanjiVG (CC BY-SA).
Common words using 単
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 簡単 | かんたん kantan | simple; easy; uncomplicated |
| 単位 | たんい tani | unit (e.g. meters, grams, etc.); denomination; unit (i.e. one comprised of many) |
| 単独 | たんどく tandoku | sole; single; solo |
| 単純 | たんじゅん tanjun | simple; plain; uncomplicated |
| 単なる | たんなる tannaru | mere; simple; sheer |
| 単に | たんに tanni | simply; merely; only |
Study notes
単 is a JLPT N3 kanji written with 9 strokes. It is taught in Japanese elementary school (grade 4), so native children learn it early — a good sign it appears everywhere. Ranked #586 of the 2,500 most frequent kanji in newspapers. On’yomi (音読み) are Chinese-derived readings mostly used in compound words; kun’yomi (訓読み) are native Japanese readings, with any highlighted part written in hiragana after the kanji (okurigana).
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