孤单

孤單
gūdān
adjective HSK 7-9 #3,458

Meanings

  1. 1 lonely; alone
  2. 2 solitary

Characters

Both characters mean 'alone,' creating a word that emphasizes the emotional feeling of loneliness.

Examples

HSK 4
Bié dānxīn, nǐ bùhuì gūdān de.
Don't worry, you won't be lonely.
HSK 7-9
Yī ge rén zài yìguó-tāxiāng, nánmiǎn huì juéde gūdān.
Living alone in a foreign country, it's hard not to feel lonely.

Tips

usage
孤单 emphasizes the emotional feeling of loneliness, while 孤独 can be more philosophical or profound - being fundamentally alone. 孤单 is what you feel on a Friday night with no plans; 孤独 is an existential state.

Stroke Order

dān