孤: the kanji for alone; orphan
孤 is a JLPT N1 kanji that means alone; orphan. Below are its readings, 3 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
孤 is written in 9 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
孤 has 1 reading in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 3 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
コ (ko)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 孤独こどく · kodoku | loneliness |
| 孤立こりつ · koritsu | isolation |
| 孤児こじ · koji | orphan |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 一人暮らしで孤独を感じることがある。Hitorigurashi de kodoku o kanjiru koto ga aru.Living alone, I sometimes feel lonely.
- 大雪で村が孤立した。Ōyuki de mura ga koritsu shita.The village was cut off by heavy snow.
- 彼は戦争で孤児になった。Kare wa sensō de koji ni natta.He was orphaned by the war.
- 会議で彼の意見は孤立していた。Kaigi de kare no iken wa koritsu shite ita.At the meeting, no one else shared his opinion.
- 孤独な主人公が仲間を見つける話だ。Kodoku na shujinkō ga nakama o mitsukeru hanashi da.It's a story about a lonely hero who finds friends.
Questions about 孤
How many strokes does 孤 have?
孤 is written in 9 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 孤?
The on readings are ko (コ). 孤 has no kun reading in the Jōyō Kanji Table.
What JLPT level is 孤?
N1. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N1 is designed to match the former Level 1.
More JLPT N1 kanji
People and relationships
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 孤
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.