独

獨
dú
#626 most
frequent character
alone, lonely
adjective
adverb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

独 has 犭 dog or animal as meaning part and 虫 as an empty part, once a sound part 蜀. It first named a wild animal like a tiger. The meaning single was borrowed only for its sound, then grew to only and independent.

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Example Sentences

他喜欢独自旅行。
tā xǐhuān dúzì lǚxíng 。
He likes to travel alone.
她感到很独。
tā gǎndào hěn dú 。
She feels very lonely.
我独自在家看书。
wǒ dúzì zàijiā kànshū 。
I read books alone at home.

Words with similar meanings

孤单gūdān
lonely
Refers to a feeling of being alone, often with a negative connotation in a social context.
单独dāndú
individually
Emphasizes being separate from others, often used in formal contexts.

Homophones

HSK 1
读dú
to read, to study
毒dú
poison, toxin, narcotics, poisonous

Words Starting With 独

独特dú tè
unique; distinct; having special characteristics
独立dú lì
independent; independence; to stand alone
独裁dú cái
dictatorship

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