Word
個別
Meaning in Englishparticular case
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
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Word context
What it means
個別 means individual or separate, referring to items or persons considered separately rather than as a group. It is used to describe handling or treatment that treats each item or person on its own.
Main meanings
- individual, separate: emphasizes treating each item or person on its own
- case-by-case usage: in contexts like policy or logistics, indicating tailored approaches
- as a noun or as a modifier via の: use in 個別の事情 or 個別に
How to use it
Used in formal and technical registers to indicate actions or considerations applied to each item or person. Common patterns include 個別に対応する, 個別の事情, and 個別化, reflecting tailored or one-by-one treatment in business, education, medicine, and policy contexts.
Variants and close terms
- それぞれの — sorezore no (each, individually)
- 別々の — betsubetsu no (separate)
- 一つずつ — hitotsu zutsu (one by one)
- 全体 — zentai (the whole) as antonym
Composition
- 個: a single item or unit; used as a counter for small objects
- 別: separation, distinction; indicates something different or set apart
- Together they express the idea of separate, individual units or cases treated on their own
Etymology
From kanji 個 (こ/ko) + 別 (べつ/betsu), combining the semantic cores 'individual' and 'separate' to yield the concept kobetsu (こべつ).
Word class
Noun (名詞) in Japanese
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N1
個性
kosei
individuality, personality, idiosyncrasy
N1
一別
ichibetsu
parting
N2
格別
kakubetsu
exceptional
N2
個体
kotai
an individual
N2
性別
seibetsu
sex, gender
N2
送別
soubetsu
farewell, send-off
N2
別荘
bessou
villa; vacation home; summer cottage
N2
別々
betsubetsu
separately, individually
N3
区別
kubetsu
distinction, differentiation, classification
Kanji