Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of dog and phonetic. Dog alone.
Symbolism
Independence, original, alone. Represents alone.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Singing a song
Component Breakdown
animal + insect
Words & Expressions
Words written with 独
Four-Character Compounds
天涯孤独
てんがいこどく
a person without a single relative
独立独歩
どくりつどっぽ
self-reliance; self-help
唯我独尊
ゆいがどくそん
throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one; self-conceit; self-centeredness
鰥寡孤独
かんかこどく
with no one upon whom to depend; utter loneliness; the lonely and the helpless
独立自尊
どくりつじそん
(spirit of) independence and self-respect
独断専行
どくだんせんこう
acting arbitrarily on one's own authority; acting arbitrarily without consultation
独善主義
どくぜんしゅぎ
self-righteousness
古今独歩
ここんどっぽ
unmatched in history; unequaled in history
独立不羈
どくりつふき
acting according to one's own beliefs, being undisturbed by others
独立自存
どくりつじそん
independence and self-reliance
不羈独立
ふきどくりつ
free and independent
独り相撲
ひとりずもう
Sumo wrestling alone; Struggling without an opponent, spinning one's wheels
Anime & Manga
文豪ストレイドッグス 『独り歩む』;
Bungo Stray Dogs 2: Walking Alone
A well-known work with 独 in its Japanese title.
喧嘩独学
Viral Hit
A well-known work with 独 in its Japanese title.
Related Figures & Stories
陳独秀
Name contains 独
Chen Duxiu was a Chinese intellectual, revolutionary, and political activist.
WikipediaOther kanji with the same meaning
“single”
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 独 mean in Japanese?
独 means single, alone, spontaneously, Germany.
How do you read 独?
On'yomi: ドク、トク (DOKU, TOKU). Kun'yomi: ひと.り (hitori).
How many strokes does 独 have?
独 has 9 strokes. Its radical is 犬 (dog).
Is 独 a good kanji for a tattoo?
独 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means single, alone, spontaneously, Germany. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.