一般
Meaning in Englishgeneral, common, public
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
What does 一般 mean? general or common; used to describe non-specific, broad concepts and the general public; it marks a broad category rather than a particular instance and appears in written and formal contexts to indicate broad applicability.
Main meanings
- general sense: broad, non-specific category or concept
- common/ordinary: everyday, not exceptional
- the general public or non-specialized audience
How to use it
As a noun or na-adjective, 一般 is used in formal and written language to indicate general applicability; before nouns it forms 一般の + noun, and it appears in media, academia, and official discourse; examples include 一般の人々, 一般的な見解, 一般論.
Variants and close terms
- 一般的 (いっぱんてき) ippanteki — general, typical
- 普通 (ふつう) futsū — ordinary, usual
- 普遍的 (ふへんてき) fuhenteki — universal
- 特定 (とくてい) tokutei — specific, particular (antonym)
Composition
- 一: 'one', numeral indicating a single unit
- 般: 'general', 'kind', contributing the sense of broad applicability
Etymology
etimologia ippan is formed by combining the kanji 一 (one) and 般 (general, kind). The compound is read ippan in modern Japanese, reflecting a general sense rather than a concrete item.
Origin
Borrowed from Chinese; the term has long been used in classical and modern Japanese to express broad generality and non-specificity.
Word class
noun/na-adjective (一般の)