ワンマン

わんまん

noun, na-adjective

one-man, autocratic, solo-operated

1. autocratic, dictatorial

Describes a person, especially a boss or leader, who makes all decisions alone without consulting others.

ワンマン社長(しゃちょう)だ。

He's an autocratic company president.

ワンマン経営(けいえい)では社員(しゃいん)がついてこない。

With autocratic management, employees won't follow along.

彼(かれ)のワンマンな態度(たいど)にみんな不満(ふまん)を持(も)っている。

Everyone is dissatisfied with his dictatorial attitude.

2. one-man, solo-operated

Operated by a single person, especially buses or trains that run without a conductor.

ワンマンバスに乗(の)る。

I ride a one-man bus.

この路線(ろせん)はワンマン運転(うんてん)だ。

This line operates with one-man (driverless conductor) service.

地方(ちほう)のバスはワンマン運行(うんこう)が多(おお)い。

Local buses mostly run as one-man operations.

ワンマン is wasei-eigo from English "one-man." It has two distinct uses in Japanese.

SENSE 1 — AUTOCRATIC:
Describes a leader who monopolizes decision-making. Almost always negative.

ワンマン社長(しゃちょう): autocratic president
ワンマン経営(けいえい): one-man management

SENSE 2 — SOLO-OPERATED:
Refers to public transport operated by a driver alone, without a separate conductor.

ワンマンバス: conductor-less bus
ワンマン運転(うんてん): one-man operation

Usage

In English, "one-man" is neutral, but in Japanese, sense 1 carries a strongly negative nuance. Sense 2 is a neutral, technical term used in transportation.

Related Words

Compare: 独断専行(どくだんせんこう) (acting on one's own authority)

general

Added 2026.2.15 11:43 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

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