(いちりん)

いちりん
noun
a single flower; one wheel
nature
1. a single flower; one bloom
One flower or blossom, typically used in literary or aesthetic contexts. Evokes an image of a solitary, beautiful flower.
(にわ)バラ一輪(いちりん)()いていた
A single rose was blooming in the garden.
I placed a single flower in a vase.
The sight of just one plum blossom blooming in the snow was striking.
2. one wheel; single wheel
A single wheel. Most commonly seen in the compound 一輪車(いちりんしゃ) (unicycle; wheelbarrow).
The child is practicing riding a unicycle.
I carry soil with a wheelbarrow.
A wheelbarrow is an indispensable tool at construction sites.

Compound of (いち) ('one') and (りん) ('wheel; ring; flower counter'). The kanji (りん) functions as a counter for flowers, giving sense 1 its meaning of 'a single flower.' In sense 2, (りん) means 'wheel.'

Usage

  • Sense 1 is common in literary contexts, poetry, and descriptions of natural beauty
  • 一輪(いちりん)(はな) is a poetic set phrase often symbolizing resilience, beauty in solitude, or fleeting nature
  • Sense 2 appears primarily in the compound 一輪車(いちりんしゃ), which means both 'unicycle' and 'wheelbarrow'

Common collocations

Similar words

Related Words