孤单
lonely; alone
gūdān
What does 孤单 mean?
孤单 (gūdān) is an adjective meaning 'lonely' or 'alone' — describing the feeling of being isolated, without company or emotional support. Literally 'solitary-single,' it usually carries an emotional weight: not just physically by oneself, but feeling forlorn or lacking companionship (一个人在外地很孤单 'living far from home alone is lonely'). Two differences from English: first, 孤单 blends the ideas of English 'alone' (physically) and 'lonely' (emotionally), leaning toward the emotional side — the sad feeling, not neutral solitude.
For simply 'being by oneself' without sadness, Chinese uses 一个人 (yí ge rén). Second, it differs from 孤独 (gūdú): 孤单 describes a temporary, situational loneliness (nobody around right now), while 孤独 suggests a deeper, more existential solitude. Register is neutral and common in everyday emotional talk, songs, and writing.
Character breakdown
solitary; orphaned; alone
single; sole; alone
Memory hook: 孤 (solitary) + 单 (single) = solitary and single, i.e. lonely.
Example sentences
一个人在国外，有时候会很孤单。
Yí ge rén zài guówài, yǒu shíhou huì hěn gūdān.
Living abroad alone, sometimes you feel very lonely.
spoken
有朋友在身边，我就不觉得孤单了。
Yǒu péngyou zài shēnbiān, wǒ jiù bù juéde gūdān le.
With friends around, I no longer feel lonely.
spoken
她一个人孤单地走在路上。
Tā yí ge rén gūdān de zǒu zài lù shang.
She walked down the road all alone.
written
别难过，你并不孤单。
Bié nánguò, nǐ bìng bù gūdān.
Don't be sad, you're not alone.
neutral
Common phrases with 孤单
Synonyms
孤独 is a deeper, more lasting or existential loneliness — a state of being (老人的孤独 'the elderly person's solitude'). 孤单 is more situational and temporary (feeling lonely tonight). Use 孤单 for a passing feeling; 孤独 for a profound, ongoing state.
寂寞 emphasizes the emptiness/boredom of having nothing and no one to fill the time. 孤单 emphasizes being without companions. They overlap and often pair up (孤单寂寞), but 寂寞 is about the dull emptiness, 孤单 about the lack of company.
Don't confuse 孤单 with
简单 means 'simple / easy.' 孤单 means 'lonely.' Both share 单 but 简 (simple) vs 孤 (solitary) makes them opposites in meaning.
一个人 means 'by oneself / alone' as a neutral fact (一个人吃饭 'eating alone'). 孤单 adds the sad emotional feeling. You can be 一个人 happily; 孤单 implies you feel lonely about it.
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