一～

ひと～ · hito～ · JLPT N2 · noun

one

一 = one stroke; ひと～ = one. 一人 hitori = one + person (a single person).

The prefix ひと～ means one in words like 一人 (hitori, one person) and ひと休み (hito-yasumi, a single rest). The kanji 一 is one horizontal line, the simplest 'one' sign.

一 — single horizontal stroke
一 is one of the simplest pictographs in Chinese, depicting a single horizontal line to represent the number one. It has retained essentially the same form since oracle bone script over 3,000 years ago. By extension it also means 'first,' 'whole,' or 'same.'

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