By Yourself: Один, Одна, Одни
In Russian, the number "one" (один) is also used to mean "alone" or "by oneself." It functions like an adjective, changing its ending to match the gender and number of the person or people who are alone:
| Gender / Number | Form |
|---|---|
| Masculine | один |
| Feminine | одна |
| Neuter | одно |
| Plural | одни |
| Solitude is my personal choice; I live alone. | Одиночество — это мой личный выбор, я живу один. |
| The young mother copes alone. | Молодая мама справляется одна. |
The plural form одни is used when a group of people are "alone together":
| This is the only place where we are completely alone. | Это единственное место, где мы совершенно одни. |
Independence and Exclusivity
To describe doing things without help, Russian uses adverbs like самостоятельно (independently) and adjectives like независимый (independent):
| He is an independent person and does everything independently. | Он независимый человек и всё делает самостоятельно. |
To express exclusivity ("solely" or "the only"), use the adverb исключительно or the adjective единственный:
| This is my personal diary; I write exclusively for myself. | Это мой личный дневник, я пишу исключительно для себя. |
| You are the only friend who always stays with me. | Ты единственный друг, который всегда остаётся со мной. |
Loneliness
Being alone isn't always a choice. The adjective одинокий means "lonely." The verb скучать can mean both "to be bored" and "to miss" someone or something, depending on the context:
| The lonely grandfather is often bored at home alone. | Одинокий дедушка часто скучает дома один. |
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