単数(たんすう)

たんすう
noun
singular number
1. singular number, singular form
A grammatical number referring to one person or thing, as opposed to plural.
英語(えいご)では単数(たんすう)と複数(ふくすう)を区別(くべつ)する。
In English, singular and plural are distinguished.
この名詞(めいし)は単数(たんすう)形(けい)だ。
This noun is in singular form.
単数(たんすう)扱(あつか)いの名詞(めいし)。
A noun treated as singular.

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.

Related Words

Antonym: 複数(ふくすう) (plural)
general
Added 2026.1.14 9:33 · Revised 2026.4.8 11:45
04500/04510_tansuu