gūdān: 孤单 - Lonely, Solitary

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Summary: Learn the Chinese word for lonely, 孤单 (gūdān). This guide explains how gūdān describes the feeling of sadness that comes from being physically alone or solitary. We'll break down the characters, explore its cultural significance, and contrast it with the similar but distinct concept of 寂寞 (jìmò). With 10 practical example sentences, you'll understand how to use gūdān to express loneliness in everyday conversation.

Pinyin (with tone marks): gūdān

Part of Speech: Adjective

HSK Level: HSK 4

Concise Definition: To be alone and feel lonely; solitary and sad.

In a Nutshell: 孤单 (gūdān) is the type of loneliness you feel because you are physically by yourself. It emphasizes the state of being solitary and the negative emotion that accompanies it. Think of a child home alone, a traveler in a new city with no friends, or an elderly person whose family is away. It's a situational loneliness tied to a lack of company.

孤 (gū): This character originally meant “orphan.” It is composed of a child (子) and a melon (瓜), perhaps evoking a sense of being singular or cut off from the vine. Today, its core meaning is “alone,” “solitary,” or “isolated.”

单 (dān): This character means “single,” “sole,” or “odd (as in an odd number).” It depicts a single unit.

When combined, 孤单 (gūdān) literally means “solitary-single.” The two characters reinforce each other to create a strong sense of being physically alone and the resulting feeling of sadness.

In China's highly collectivist culture, group harmony and social connection are paramount. Being part of a family, a group of friends, or a work unit is the default and desired state. Consequently, being 孤单 (gūdān) is often viewed more negatively than “solitude” might be in the West.

Comparison with Western “Solitude”: In Western cultures, choosing to be alone for reflection, creativity, or peace (solitude) can be seen as a positive and healthy practice. 孤单 (gūdān) rarely carries this positive connotation. It almost always implies an undesirable state of isolation and a longing for companionship. A person who is 孤单 is seen as pitiable, lacking the crucial social network that defines a well-adjusted life in Chinese society.

This feeling is a common theme in modern China, especially concerning “left-behind children” (留守儿童, liúshǒu értóng) whose parents work in distant cities, or the elderly living alone in “empty nest” homes (空巢家庭, kōngcháo jiātíng).

孤单 (gūdān) is a very common word used in daily conversation, social media, and pop culture (especially song lyrics) to express feelings of loneliness.

Connotation: It is almost always negative. It evokes sympathy from the listener.

Formality: It is generally used in informal to semi-formal contexts. You would say it to a friend, family member, or on a social media post, but it might be too emotional for a formal business report.

It's often paired with adverbs like 很 (hěn - very), 有点儿 (yǒudiǎnr - a little bit), or 觉得 (juéde - to feel) to express the degree of loneliness. For example, “我觉得很孤单” (Wǒ juéde hěn gūdān - I feel very lonely).