ひとりぼっち

ひとりぼっち

Japanese

Alternative spellings
独りぼっち 独り法師 一人ぼっち

Alternative forms

• ひとりぽっち (hitoripotchi)

Etymology

独り (hitori, “one person; lone”) +‎ 法師 (hōshi, hosshi, “Buddhist monk”)

/hitoribopusi/ → /hitoribossi/ → /hitoribotti/

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ひとりぼ​っち [hìtóríbóꜜtchì] (Nakadaka – [4])[1][2][3]
• IPA^(key): [çi̥to̞ɾʲibo̞t̚t͡ɕi]

Noun

ひとりぼっち • (hitoribotchi) 

1. loneliness; solitude
   • 1988 July 30 [Jul 25 1984], Fujiko F. Fujio, “ふたりぼっち [Altwo]”, in ポストの中の明日 [Post-Mid-Tomorrow] (藤子不二雄少年SF短編集; 2), volume 2 (fiction), 10th edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 190:

     「ぼくはひとりぼっちにもどった………」

     “Boku wa hitoribotchi ni modotta………”

     “And I’m back to being alone again………”

   • 2009, ryo (lyrics), “君の知らない物語”, performed by supercell:

     やっと見(み)つけた織(おり)姫(ひめ)様(さま)
     だけどどこだろう彦(ひこ)星(ぼし)様(さま)
     これじゃひとりぼっち

     yatto mitsuketa Orihime-sama
     da kedo doko darō Hikoboshi-sama
     kore ja hitoribotchi

     We've finally found the Weaver Girl,
     but where's her Cowherd?
     If this is how it is, she's all alone

2. (archaic, literally) solitary monk

Related terms

• ぼっち (botchi)

References

1. 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN
2. 1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
3. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN