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

唯

Meaning

Only

Reading

ただ

tada

Kanji

唯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