独 meaning and stroke order
Alone; independent; single
How to write 独, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 独
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- alone
- independent
- single
- sole
- only
How 独 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Dog.
犭 gives the meaning and 虫 hints at the sound.
Radical: 犭 (dog), shared by 88 characters on this site.
How to remember 独
独 is built from the animal radical 犭 (a dog) and 虫 (chóng, insect), which serves as the sound part. Picture a lone dog sitting next to a tiny bug, with no one else around, and you have the idea of being alone.
独 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It usually appears in words like 独自 (dúzì), 独立 (dúlì) and 孤独 (gūdú), or as a written adverb meaning "only" or "alone". Example: 他一个人独自去了北京。(Tā yí ge rén dúzì qù le Běijīng.) He went to Beijing all by himself.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 独 with 浊 (zhuó, muddy), which shares the 虫 part but has the water radical 氵 on the left. Also remember the pinyin is dú with a rising second tone, not dū or dǔ.
Common words with 独
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 单独 | dāndú | alone; by oneself | HSK 4 |
| 独自 | dúzì | alone | HSK 4 |
| 独立 | dúlì | independent; independence | HSK 4 |
| 独特 | dútè | unique; distinctive | HSK 4 |
| 孤独 | gūdú | lonely; solitary | HSK 6 |
| 独一无二 | dúyī-wú'èr | (idiom) unique; unmatched; unrivalled | HSK 7-9 |
| 独家 | dújiā | exclusive | HSK 7-9 |
| 独身 | dúshēn | unmarried; single; alone | HSK 7-9 |
| 唯独 | wéidú | only; just (i.e. it is only that...) | HSK 7-9 |
| 独唱 | dúchàng | (in singing) solo; to solo | HSK 7-9 |
| 得天独厚 | détiāndúhòu | blessed by heaven (idiom); enjoying exceptional advantages | HSK 7-9 |
| 独立自主 | dúlì-zìzhǔ | independent and autonomous (idiom); self-determination; to act independently | HSK 7-9 |
| 独处 | dúchǔ | to live alone; to spend time alone (or with a significant other) | |
| 独角兽 | dújiǎoshòu | unicorn |
独 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 独
How many strokes are in 独?
独 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 独 mean?
独 (dú) means alone; independent; single. A common word with it is 单独 (dāndú), meaning "alone; by oneself".
How do you pronounce 独?
独 is pronounced dú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 独?
The radical of 独 is 犭, which carries the idea of "dog". Dictionaries list 独 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 独?
The traditional form of 独 is 獨. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 独 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 独 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 独 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 独自 and 单独?
独自 (dúzì) describes doing something alone and usually comes right before a verb, as in 独自旅行. 单独 (dāndú) also means alone or separately, but it is more flexible and can describe things, as in 单独的房间 (a separate room).
Does 孤独 mean the same as being alone?
Not exactly. 孤独 (gūdú) describes the feeling of loneliness, while 独自 or 单独 simply state that no one else is there. You can be 独自 without feeling 孤独.