独 — “alone / sole” in Japanese

Grade 5どく, ひと

Radical ⽝ · radical 94 The building block this kanji is filed under

“alone / sole” in Japanese is 独, read doku, hito (どく, ひと). It is a Grade 5 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 5 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 独立 (independence).

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What does 独 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	独
Meaning	alone / sole
Readings	どく, ひと
Grade	Grade 5 (Hard)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	独立 (independence)

How to read 独

独 is read doku (どく) or hito (ひと) depending on the word.

Words with 独

独特どくとく
独自どくじ
独立
孤独

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Kanji read the same way as 独

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

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Updated: 2026-08-28