単数(たんすう)

単数(たんすう) is a grammar term meaning 'singular number,' primarily used when discussing languages like English that distinguish between singular and plural.

COMMON EXPRESSIONS:

• 単数(たんすう)形(けい): singular form
• 単数(たんすう)名詞(めいし): singular noun
• 単数(たんすう)扱(あつか)い: treated as singular
• 単数(たんすう)・複数(ふくすう): singular and plural

CONTRAST:

• 単数(たんすう): singular (one)
• 複数(ふくすう): plural (more than one)

NOTE:
Japanese does not grammatically distinguish singular and plural in most cases, so this term appears mainly in foreign language study, linguistics, and translation contexts. Learners of English encounter it frequently when studying grammar (英文法(えいぶんぽう)).

REGISTER:
Formal/technical. Rarely used outside academic or language-learning contexts.