Chinese word

孤单

Pronunciation

Pinyingū dān

Meaning

  • adjectivelonely

Example

他一个人住，感到很孤单。tā yí gè rén zhù gǎn dào hěn gū dān

He lives alone and feels very lonely.

Illustration for 孤单 (lonely)

More examples

她人很多，却仍然觉得很孤单。tā rén hěn duō què réng rán jué de hěn gū dān

She is surrounded by many people, yet still feels very lonely.

Core concept

Being by oneself becomes a felt absence of companionship.

Common phrases

  • 孤单的人gū dān de rén

    lonely person

  • 不再孤单bú zài gū dān

    no longer lonely

  • 觉得自己很孤单jué de zì jǐ hěn gū dān

    feel very lonely

Similar words

孤独gū dú: Feeling a deep loneliness caused by being mentally separated from other people.
寂寞jì mò: Feeling lonely when a quiet place lacks people, company, or lively activity.
单独dān dú: Being alone or apart from other people in a simple, non-emotional sense.

Definition in Chinese

因缺乏陪伴而感到寂寞，既可指实际独处也可指内心的孤寂。yīn quē fá péi bàn ér gǎn dào jì mò jì kě zhǐ shí jì dú chǔ yě kě zhǐ nèi xīn de gū jì

Word origin

孤单 (gūdān, "lonely") is formed from 孤 (gū, "solitary") + 单 (dān, "single"), so its structure joins isolation with the idea of being the only person present.

Usage tips

  • The word can sound emotionally strong in conversation, so a phrase meaning "a little" can suit a mild moment more naturally than an absolute statement.

Other meanings

  • aloneadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • 孤单感gū dān gǎnlonelinessnoun

Word lists with this word