一 | Chapter 01, Kanji 05

Kanji 5 / 30 in this chapter

ONE

Mnemonic

This is the simplest kanji in the language: just a single horizontal stroke. It represents the number ONE.

Imagine you’re drawing a tally mark for one item. Just one clean stroke—nothing extra.

Ken makes a single tally mark, just like the kanji 一.
Ken makes a single tally markー just ONE!

Example Vocabulary

  • – one person, alone Click to recall: 人 =
  • – one time, once
  • – number one; best; most
  • – the first of the month Click to recall: 日 =
  • – January Click to recall: 月 =

Good news!
Starting now, you’ll begin to see more words with kanji you’ve already learned (like 一人, 一月, and 一日). When you spot a familiar character, try to recall the meaning with our site's toggle feature! For any new kanji, as always, just check the English and notice how each word connects back to the meaning of the kanji.

Example Sentences