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How to say 'Only' in Japanese | 唯

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

The Japanese word for Only is 'Tada', written as 唯 in Japanese.'Only' in hiragana is ただ.

    word

    Meaning

    Only

    Reading

    ただ

    tada

    Kanji

    Only, Solely

    Explanation

    The Japanese adverb '唯 (ただ)' means 'only' or 'merely'. It is used to emphasize that something is limited to a specific condition, state, or action, often implying simplicity or lack of complexity. For example: I only want to help「ただ助けたいだけです」(ただたすけたいだけです). It's just a rumor「ただの噂です」(ただのうわさです). This word can also carry a nuance of humility or modesty, as in 'I am just a student'「私はただの学生です」(わたしはただのがくせいです). Note that '唯' is often used in formal or literary contexts, while 'だけ' is more common in casual speech.

    Part Of Speech

    adverb

    Kanji JLPT

    N1

    Kanji Grade

    9

    Frequency

    243

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word

This word contains 1 kanji character:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Only, Solely

Words Related to Through the Kanji

This Word contains the Kanji 唯 as well.

  • word

    唯一

    Meaning

    Only

Learn the Word

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What does 'Tada' (唯) mean?

'Tada' means 'Only' .

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