Chinese word

单身

Pronunciation

Pinyindān shēn

Meaning

  • adjectivesingle

Example

我现在还是单身。wǒ xiàn zài hái shì dān shēn

I am still single.

Illustration for 单身 (single)

More examples

他因为事业原因暂时单身。tā yīn wèi shì yè yuán yīn zàn shí dān shēn

He is temporarily single because of his career.

Core concept

The relationship status of being on one's own rather than attached to a spouse or regular romantic partner.

Common phrases

  • 单身生活dān shēn shēng huó

    single life

  • 暂时单身zàn shí dān shēn

    temporarily single

Similar words

未婚wèi hūn: Not married yet, without saying whether there is a current romantic partner.
离异lí yì: Having ended a marriage through divorce and now having no spouse.
丧偶sàng ǒu: Having lost a spouse through death and now being without a spouse.

Definition in Chinese

表示个人没有配偶、没有固定恋爱对象的状态，常用于自述感情状况。biǎo shì gè rén méi yǒu pèi ǒu méi yǒu gù dìng liàn ài duì xiàng de zhuàng tài cháng yòng yú zì shù gǎn qíng zhuàng kuàng

Word origin

The compound 单身 (dānshēn, "single") literally joins the ideas of one and oneself, which gives it a clear image of an unpartnered person.

Usage tips

  • English speakers often connect this word only with marriage, but everyday Chinese also uses it for someone without a current steady romantic relationship, whether or not marriage has been discussed.

Other meanings

  • single personnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 单身贵族dān shēn guì zúsingle aristocratnoun
  • 单身经济dān shēn jīng jìsingles economynoun

Word lists with this word