Translation guide
In Japanese, expressing 'unmarried' depends on context: describing marital status, referring to an unmarried person, or discussing social concepts. The most common and neutral term is 独身 (dokushin).
To state that someone is not married, in a neutral or factual way.
The standard, neutral word for 'unmarried' or 'single'. Can be used for both men and women. Often used in forms and conversations.
Literally 'not married'. A straightforward, slightly more formal or explicit way to state the fact. Common in written descriptions.
彼女は結婚していません。
She is not married.
To talk about a person who is not married, often with a nuance of age or gender.
A neutral term for an unmarried person. Slightly formal, used in surveys or official contexts.
独身者の割合が増えている。
The proportion of unmarried people is increasing.
Often used as a prefix meaning 'unmarried', especially in compounds like 未婚者 (unmarried person) or 未婚の母 (unmarried mother). More formal or statistical.
Specifically 'unmarried man' or 'unmarried woman'. Common in matchmaking or demographic contexts.
独身男性向けのイベント
event for single men
To emphasize that someone has never been married, often in contrast to divorced or widowed.
In official forms, 未婚 specifically means 'never married', as opposed to 独身 which can include divorced/widowed. Use 未婚 when the distinction matters.
婚姻歴：未婚
Marital history: never married
Literally 'have never married'. Clear and conversational.
彼は一度も結婚したことがない。
He has never been married.
To describe someone who chooses to remain unmarried, or the state of being happily single.
Means 'enjoying single life'. A positive, natural way to express being unmarried by choice.
今は独身を楽しんでいます。
I'm enjoying being single right now.
Literally 'single-ism', meaning a philosophy of remaining unmarried. Somewhat strong or ideological.
彼は独身主義者だ。
He is a confirmed bachelor / advocate of single life.
To refer to an unmarried person past the typical marriage age, sometimes with a negative or pitiful connotation.
Literally 'unsold goods', a derogatory term for an older unmarried person, especially a woman. Avoid using; recognize to understand nuance.
Offensive and outdated. Do not use to describe people.
彼女は売れ残りだと言われた。
She was called an old maid.
Archaic term for a woman who never married. Very rare and literary.
独身 (dokushin) is the general word for 'single' or 'unmarried', and can include divorced or widowed people. 未婚 (mikon) specifically means 'never married' and is used in official documents. In casual conversation, 独身 is more common.
While 未婚 is a direct translation, it sounds formal. In everyday speech, use 独身 or 結婚していない. Saying 未婚の人 in casual chat may sound stiff.
unmarried woman
行かず後家のまま老いる。
She grows old as a spinster.