一

The kanji 一 represents the most fundamental concept in counting and ordering: “one” or “first”. With just a single horizontal stroke, it’s one of the simplest kanji to write, yet it appears in countless Japanese words and expressions.

Core Meanings and Usage

The character 一 has several key uses in Japanese:

• As a number: “one” (一)
• In ordinals: “first” (第一)
• To express “best” or “top” (一番)
• To indicate “same” or “whole” (一様)

Common Expressions and Phrases

Time-Related Expressions

一時 (いちじ, ichiji) - 1 o’clock 一分 (いっぷん, ippun) - one minute 一週間 (いっしゅうかん, isshūkan) - one week

Counting and Ordering

一回 (いっかい, ikkai) - once 一番 (いちばん, ichiban) - number one, best 一目 (ひとめ, hitome) - a glance

Idiomatic Uses

一生 (いっしょう, isshō) - whole life 一生懸命 (いっしょうけんめい, isshōkenmei) - with all one’s might 一度に (いちどに, ichido ni) - all at once

Writing and Composition

While simple in appearance, proper writing of 一 requires attention to:

• Stroke direction: left to right
• Stroke balance: maintain even pressure throughout
• Horizontal alignment: keep the stroke perfectly level

Kanji in Context

Let’s see how 一 works in various real-world contexts:

1. In business:

   • 第一印象 (だいいちいんしょう, daichiinshō) - first impression
   • 一部 (いちぶ, ichibu) - one part, portion

2. In daily life:

   • 一人暮らし (ひとりぐらし, hitorigurashi) - living alone
   • 一休み (ひとやすみ, hitoyasumi) - taking a break

3. In formal situations:

   • 一致 (いっち, icchi) - agreement, coincidence
   • 一応 (いちおう, ichiō) - tentatively, just in case

This kanji often combines with other numbers to create larger quantities:

• 十一 (じゅういち, jūichi) - eleven
• 二十一 (にじゅういち, nijūichi) - twenty-one