单独

• Pinyin: dān dú
• Hanzi breakdown: 单 = simplified from 單; 独 = 犭(dog radical) + 虫 (insect, phonetic) — originally a solitary animal

Meaning

Alone; individually; by oneself. Doing something separately from others.

An adverb describing doing something independently or separately. Can modify verbs to indicate solo action. Also used as an adjective before nouns to mean separate or individual. Common in both everyday and formal contexts.

Examples

1. 老师想单独和你谈谈你最近的学习情况。 The teacher wants to talk to you privately about your recent studies.
2. 她喜欢单独去旅行，觉得更自由。 She likes to travel alone — she feels it's freer.
3. 这个问题需要单独讨论，不能和其他问题混在一起。 This issue needs to be discussed separately and can't be mixed with other problems.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, work, education

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我想单独待一会儿。(I want to be alone for a while.)
• 这件事需要单独处理。(This matter needs to be handled separately.)

Don't Say

• 把单独和孤独混用 (Don't confuse 单独 with 孤独 — 单独 is neutral, meaning by oneself; 孤独 is emotional, meaning lonely and sad)

Origin & History

单 (single/alone) + 独 (sole/only) — both characters reinforce the idea of being alone, combining for emphasis.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal