単 — “single / simple” in Japanese

Grade 4たん

Radical ⼗ · radical 24 The building block this kanji is filed under

“single / simple” in Japanese is 単, read tan (たん). It is a Grade 4 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 4 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 簡単 (simple / easy).

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What does 単 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	単
Meaning	single / simple
Readings	たん
Grade	Grade 4 (Upper)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	簡単 (simple / easy)

How to read 単

単 is read tan (たん) depending on the word.

Words with 単

簡単かんたん
単純たんじゅん

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Kanji read the same way as 単

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

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Updated: 2026-08-28