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How to say 'Loneliness' in Japanese | 孤独

Wondering how to say 'Loneliness' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Loneliness is 'Kodoku', written as 孤独 in Japanese.'Loneliness' in hiragana is こどく.

    word

    孤独

    Meaning

    Loneliness

    Reading

    こどく

    kodoku

    Kanji

    Orphan, Solitary Alone

    Explanation

    The Japanese adjectival noun '孤独 (こどく)' means 'loneliness'. It describes the state of being alone, isolated, or feeling disconnected from others. This word often carries an emotional weight, emphasizing the sadness or emptiness associated with being alone. For example: he felt deep loneliness「彼は深い孤独を感じた」(かれはふかいこどくをかんじた). Loneliness is a common theme in literature「孤独は文学のよくあるテーマだ」(こどくはぶんがくのよくあるテーマだ). It can also be used to describe a physical state of being alone, but it is more commonly associated with emotional isolation.

    Part Of Speech

    adjectival noun

    Kanji JLPT

    N1

    Kanji Grade

    8

    Frequency

    4581

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word 孤独

This word contains 2 kanji characters:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Orphan, Solitary

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Alone

Words Related to 孤独 Through the Kanji

These 7 Words contain the Kanji 独 as well.

  • word

    独自

    Meaning

    Unique, Independent

  • word

    独身

    Meaning

    Single

  • word

    単独

    Meaning

    Alone, Independent

  • word

    独立

    Meaning

    Independence

  • word

    独特

    Meaning

    Unique

  • word

    独り言

    Meaning

    Soliloquy

  • word

    独占

    Meaning

    Monopoly

Learn the Word 孤独

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What does 'Kodoku' (孤独) mean?

'Kodoku' means 'Loneliness' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.