Meaning and Usage
"一人" (ひとり) literally means "one person" and is commonly used to refer to a single individual or being alone. It can describe the number of people or the state of doing something alone.
Common Contexts
- Counting people: "一人" is used to specify one person, often in contrast to groups.
- Being alone: When combined with "で" (particle), it expresses doing something alone, e.g., "一人で行く" (go alone).
Collocations and Patterns
- 一人で + verb: Indicates doing an action alone, e.g., "一人で食べる" (eat alone).
- 一人しか + negative verb: Emphasizes that there is only one person, e.g., "一人しかいない" (there is only one person).
Register and Nuance
"一人" is neutral and commonly used in both casual and formal contexts. It is important not to confuse it with "一人" read as "いちにん" which is used in legal or official contexts to count people.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse "一人" (ひとり) with "一つ" (ひとつ) which means "one thing". Remember "一人" is for people, while "一つ" is for objects or abstract items.