人: the kanji for person
人 is a JLPT N5 kanji that means person. Below are its readings, 22 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
人 is written in 2 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
人 has 3 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 17 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
ジン (jin)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 日本人にほんじん · Nihonjin | Japanese person |
| 外国人がいこくじん · gaikokujin | foreigner |
| 人口じんこう · jinkō | population |
| 人生じんせい · jinsei | life (one's whole life) |
| 人事じんじ · jinji | human resources; personnel |
| 個人こじん · kojin | individual |
| 成人せいじん · seijin | adult |
ニン (nin)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 人気にんき · ninki | popularity |
| 人間にんげん · ningen | human being |
| 三人さんにん · sannin | three people |
| 何人なんにん · nannin | how many people |
| 人数にんずう · ninzū | number of people |
| 人形にんぎょう · ningyō | doll |
ひと (hito)
Kun reading. It often becomes bito at the end of a word.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 人ひと · hito | person |
| 人々ひとびと · hitobito | people |
| 旅人たびびと · tabibito | traveler |
| 人手ひとで · hitode | workers; help |
Special readings to learn as whole words
These words use 人, but their readings do not follow the readings above. The Jōyō Kanji Table lists them as special readings. Learn each one as a whole word.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 大人おとな · otona | adult |
| 一人ひとり · hitori | one person; alone |
| 二人ふたり · futari | two people |
| 素人しろうと · shirōto | amateur |
| 玄人くろうと · kurōto | expert; professional |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 人事部に書類を出します。Jinjibu ni shorui o dashimasu.I'll submit the documents to the HR department.
- 会議には何人来ますか。Kaigi ni wa nannin kimasu ka.How many people are coming to the meeting?
- このレストランはとても人気があります。Kono resutoran wa totemo ninki ga arimasu.This restaurant is very popular.
- 日本人の同僚と昼ご飯を食べました。Nihonjin no dōryō to hirugohan o tabemashita.I had lunch with a Japanese coworker.
- 大人二人、子ども一人です。Otona futari, kodomo hitori desu.Two adults and one child.
- 駅は人が多いです。Eki wa hito ga ōi desu.The station is crowded.
Questions about 人
How many strokes does 人 have?
人 is written in 2 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 人?
The on readings are jin (ジン), nin (ニン). The kun readings are hito (ひと).
How do you count people in Japanese?
Put 人 (nin) after the number, as in 三人 (sannin, three people). One and two people are special: 一人 (hitori) and 二人 (futari).
What JLPT level is 人?
N5. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N5 is designed to match the former Level 4.
More JLPT N5 kanji
People
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 人
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.