单 (dān) — (noun) bill; list; form (a written note); (adjective) single; sole; odd (number); (adverb) only; solely
Definition
单 (dān) is the everyday word meaning 'single' or 'only' — contrasts with 唯一 (more formal, 'sole, unique') and 单一 (often pejorative, 'monotonous, one-track'). As a noun it means a written bill or list.
noun
billlistform (a written note)
adjective
singlesoleodd (number)
adverb
onlysolely
Measure word · 个
Examples
- ，单。Fú wù yuán, qǐng bǎ dān gěi wǒ.Waiter, please give me the bill.
- ，。Tā xiàn zài hái shì dān shēn, méi yǒu jié hūn.He is still single, not married.
- 单，。Tā dān kào gōng zī shēng huó, méi yǒu qí tā shōu rù.He lives solely on his salary, with no other income.
Origin
Pictograph六书liùshū
象形xiàngxíngA drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 單; 单 is its simplified writing.
The form 單 originally pictured a Y-shaped wooden stick with two stones on top.
Appears in
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