When counting people in Japanese, you'll often use the counter 〜人 (nin). This is attached to numbers to specify a quantity of people. For example, 一人 (hitori) means 'one person' and 二人 (futari) means 'two people'.
For three people or more, you generally take the number and add 〜人 (nin) to it. So, 三人 (sannin) is 'three people', 四人 (yonin) is 'four people', and so on.
There are a couple of irregular readings you'll want to remember for one and two people, but otherwise, it's quite straightforward.
Mastering this counter is essential for everyday conversations, like ordering at a restaurant or talking about family members.
When counting people in Japanese, you'll generally use the counter 〜人 (nin). For example, 3 people is ３人 (sannin).
However, there are two important exceptions to remember: 1 person is １人 (hitori) and 2 people is ２人 (futari). These are irregular and do not follow the 〜人 (nin) pattern.
For numbers of people greater than two, you simply attach 〜人 (nin) to the number. For instance, ４人 (yonin) means 4 people, and ５人 (gonin) means 5 people.
This counter is essential for everyday conversations, so practice these irregularities until they become second nature!
When counting people in Japanese, we use the counter 「〜人」 (〜nin). For example, to say "one person," we say 「一人」 (hitori). For "two people," we say 「二人」 (futari).
For three or more people, we generally use the number followed by 「人」 (nin). For instance, "three people" is 「三人」 (sannin), and "four people" is 「四人」 (yonin).
It's important to remember the irregular readings for one and two people, but otherwise, it's quite straightforward!
Wusstest du?
This kanji is a pictograph of a person.
Beispiele nach Niveau
これは三人前の料理です。
This is a meal for three people.
三人前 (sanninmae) means 'portion for three people'.
家族は五人です。
There are five people in my family.
五人 (gonin) means 'five people'.
このクラスには何人いますか？
How many people are in this class?
何人 (nannin) means 'how many people'.
会議には十人以上の人が参加しました。
More than ten people participated in the meeting.
十人以上 (juunin ijou) means 'more than ten people'.
彼女は一人で旅行するのが好きです。
She likes to travel alone.
一人 (hitori) means 'one person' or 'alone'.
二人でこの仕事を終わらせましょう。
Let's finish this work with two people.
二人 (futari) means 'two people'.
そのパーティーにはたくさんの人が来ていました。
Many people came to that party.
たくさんの人 (takusan no hito) means 'many people'.
彼は人気者で、いつも周りに人がいます。
He is popular, and there are always people around him.
人気者 (ninkimono) means 'popular person'.
Häufige Kollokationen
Häufige Phrasen
ご家族は何人ですか？
How many people are in your family?
クラスに何人いますか？
How many people are in your class?
一人で行きます。
I will go alone.
二人で食べます。
Two people will eat.
彼はとても親切な人です。
He is a very kind person.
たくさんの人が来ていました。
Many people were coming.
これは何人分ですか？
How many servings is this for?
私達は三人です。
There are three of us.
このお店には色々な人がいます。
There are various types of people in this shop.
彼は日本人ではありません。
He is not Japanese.
Wird oft verwechselt mit
〜個 is a general counter for small, inanimate objects. It's important to remember that 〜人 is specifically for people.
〜匹 is a counter for small animals. It should not be used for people.
〜台 is a counter for vehicles and machines. It should not be confused with the counter for people.
Leicht verwechselbar
While 〜人 is generally a regular counter, the reading for one person is irregular. Learners often try to say いちにん.
Regular reading: numeral + にん. Irregular reading for one person: ひとり. Irregular reading for two people: ふたり.
一人で食べます。 (I'll eat by myself. / I'll eat alone.)
Similar to 一人, the reading for two people is irregular. Learners often try to say ににん.
Regular reading: numeral + にん. Irregular reading for one person: ひとり. Irregular reading for two people: ふたり.
二人で行きます。 (We'll go as two people. / Two of us will go.)
This is where the regular pattern starts, so learners might be confused after learning the irregular readings for one and two. It's important to solidify that from three onwards, the pattern is consistent.
After the irregular readings for 一人 (ひとり) and 二人 (ふたり), the pattern becomes regular: numeral + にん.
三人家族です。 (It's a family of three. / We are a family of three.)
The interrogative form uses なん, not いく, which can be confusing given other counters might use いくつ or いくら.
To ask 'how many people', use 何人 (なんにん), not いくにん.
何人いますか。 (How many people are there?)
Both 〜人 and 〜名 count people. Learners might not understand when to use which.
〜人 is the common, everyday counter for people. 〜名 is a more formal or polite counter, often used in business or customer service settings, or when referring to a group collectively, like 'party of 5'.
お客様は五名様です。 (The customers are five people. [Polite])
Tipps
Basic Usage: Counting People
To count people, you generally attach 〜人 (jin) to the number. For example, 一人 (hitori) means one person, 二人 (futari) means two people, and 三人 (sannin) means three people.
Irregular Readings for One and Two
Be aware that 一人 (hitori) and 二人 (futari) are irregular readings. For three people and up, the reading is usually more straightforward, like 三人 (sannin), 四人 (yonin), etc.
Asking 'How many people?'
To ask 'How many people?', you can use 何人 (nannin). For example, 何人ですか？ (Nannin desu ka?) means 'How many people are there?'
Using with Family Members
You can use 〜人 with family members to indicate the number of people in your family. For instance, 四人家族 (yonin kazoku) means a family of four.
Common Phrases with 〜人
Learn common phrases like 大人二人 (otona futari) which means two adults, or 子供一人 (kodomo hitori) which means one child. This helps with practical situations.
Don't confuse with 'nationality'
Be careful not to confuse 〜人 (jin, counter for people) with 〜人 (jin, meaning 'person of a certain nationality'). The context will usually make it clear.
Practice with numbers
Regularly practice counting people from one to ten using 〜人. This will help you memorize the irregular readings and build fluency.
Polite Expressions
When referring to a group of people, especially in a formal setting, you might hear 方 (kata), which is a more polite way to refer to people than 人 (hito).
More specific uses
Beyond just counting, 〜人 can appear in more complex phrases. For example, 多くの人 (ooku no hito) means many people, and 少数の人 (shousuu no hito) means few people.
Listen for variations
When listening to native speakers, pay attention to how they use 〜人. Sometimes there are slight pauses or intonation changes that can help you understand the nuance.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
Think of 'nin' as sounding a bit like 'men' (as in plural for man/woman), helping you remember it's for counting people. For 'hitori' and 'futari', just remember these as special cases for 'one person' and 'two people'.
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine a group of 'nin'jas, each representing a person. The number of ninjas you see is the number of 'nin' you'd use.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Look around you, or think about your family/friends. How many people are there? Try to say the number of people in Japanese using '〜人'. For example, if you see 5 people, say '五人 (gonin)'.
Wortherkunft
形 (かたち・shape) and 匕 (さじ・spoon) which represented a seated person. Later combined with 仁 (じん・humanity) to form 人 (ひと・person)
Ursprüngliche Bedeutung: Person
Sino-Japanese (Kanji)Kultureller Kontext
The Japanese language uses counters extensively, and '〜人' (read as '-nin' or '-ri' depending on the number) is a fundamental one for counting people. Understanding and using counters correctly is a key aspect of natural-sounding Japanese.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenWhile both 〜人 (nin) and 〜名 (mei) are counters for people, 〜名 (mei) is a more formal and polite way to count people, often used in business or customer service settings. For example, in a restaurant, a host might ask 何名様ですか (nanmei-sama desu ka?) - 'How many people are in your party?' 〜人 (nin) is more common in everyday conversation. You'll use 〜人 (nin) most of the time.
Yes, there are a few important irregular pronunciations to remember. For one person, it's 一人 (hitori), not いちにん (ichi-nin). For two people, it's 二人 (futari), not ににん (ni-nin). After that, the pattern is usually number + にん (nin), like 三人 (san-nin) for three people, 四人 (yo-nin) for four people, and so on.
To ask 'how many people?' you'd use 何人 (nan-nin). For example, 家族は何人ですか (Kazoku wa nan-nin desu ka?) means 'How many people are in your family?'
No, 〜人 (nin) is specifically for counting people. For animals, you'd use different counters depending on the type of animal. For example, you often use 〜匹 (hiki) for small to medium-sized animals like dogs or cats, and 〜頭 (tō) for larger animals like elephants or cows.
You always need a counter when counting in Japanese. You can't just say a number like 'three' if you mean 'three people.' You must attach a counter, so for people, it's 三人 (san-nin).
The basic 〜人 (nin) counter itself doesn't carry a specific politeness level; it's quite neutral. However, the overall sentence structure and other words you use will determine the politeness. For instance, adding です (desu) or ございます (gozaimasu) makes a sentence more polite.
No, 〜人 (nin) is strictly for counting people. If you're counting objects or other categories, you'll need to use the appropriate counter for those items. Japanese has many different counters!
To say 'many people,' you can use 多くの人 (ōku no hito), which literally means 'many of people.' For example, 多くの人がいます (Ōku no hito ga imasu) means 'There are many people.'
Not really a 'special case,' but just remember that 〜人 (nin) is used for counting children just like adults. So, 子供が三人います (Kodomo ga san-nin imasu) means 'There are three children.'
Here's a simple example: クラスに学生が五人います (Kurasu ni gakusei ga go-nin imasu.) This means 'There are five students in the class.' Here, 学生 (gakusei) means 'student,' and 五人 (go-nin) means 'five people/students.'
Teste dich selbst 48 Fragen
私には兄弟が三人___います。
三人 (sannin) means 'three people'. '人' is the counter for people.
家族は五___です。
五人 (gonin) means 'five people'. '人' is the counter for people.
クラスには何___いますか。
何人 (nannin) means 'how many people?'. '人' is the counter for people.
パーティーに七___来ます。
七人 (shichinin/nananin) means 'seven people'. '人' is the counter for people.
会社に二___の新しい社員がいます。
二人 (futari) means 'two people'. '人' is the counter for people.
私たちは六___で旅行に行きます。
六人 (rokunin) means 'six people'. '人' is the counter for people.
Write a short sentence saying 'There are three people.' in Japanese.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
三人がいます。
Write 'How many people?' in Japanese.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
何人ですか。
You want to say 'There is one person.' in Japanese. Write the sentence.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
一人がいます。
How many people are in B's family?
Read this passage:
A: 何人家族ですか？ B: 五人家族です。
How many people are in B's family?
B says '五人家族です' which means 'My family has five people.'
B says '五人家族です' which means 'My family has five people.'
How many students are there?
Read this passage:
A: 学生は何人いますか？ B: 十人います。
How many students are there?
B says '十人います' which means 'There are ten people.'
B says '十人います' which means 'There are ten people.'
How many friends does B have?
Read this passage:
A: 友達は何人いますか？ B: 二人います。
How many friends does B have?
B says '二人います' which means 'I have two people.'
B says '二人います' which means 'I have two people.'
パーティーには何___来ますか？ (How many people are coming to the party?)
「〜人」は人の数を数えるときに使います。
家族は五___です。(There are five people in my family.)
家族の人数を数えるときは「〜人」を使います。
会議にはたくさん___集まりました。(Many people gathered for the meeting.)
「たくさん」の後ろに「人」を付けて「多くの人」という意味になります。
このレストランはいつも___が多いです。(This restaurant always has a lot of people.)
「人が多い」で「人がたくさんいる」という意味になります。
クラスには三十___学生がいます。(There are thirty students in the class.)
学生の人数を数えるときは「〜人」を使います。
カフェで一人___コーヒーを飲みました。(I drank coffee by myself at the cafe.)
「一人」で「一人で」という意味になります。
パーティーにはどのくらいの___来ますか？ (How many people are coming to the party?)
「人」は人の数を数えるときに使う助数詞です。
家族は全部で五___います。 (There are five people in my family in total.)
家族の人数を数えるので「人」を使います。
このクラスには30___の学生がいます。 (There are 30 students in this class.)
学生の数を数えるので「人」が適切です。
会議には何___参加しますか？ (How many people will participate in the meeting?)
会議に参加する人数を尋ねているので「人」が正しいです。
そのチームは何___で構成されていますか？ (How many people make up that team?)
チームの人数を数えるときに「人」を使います。
イベントには推定で200___が来場する見込みです。 (An estimated 200 people are expected to attend the event.)
イベントに来場する人の数を表すため「人」が正しいです。
この会議には少なくとも10___の参加者が必要です。
「〜人」は人の数を数えるときに使います。文脈から「参加者」の数を数えているので、「人」が適切です。
そのプロジェクトチームは5___の精鋭で構成されている。
「精鋭」は人の集団を指すので、その数を数えるには「人」を使います。
採用試験には、予想をはるかに超える100___を超える応募がありました。
「応募」があるのは人なので、その数を数えるには「人」が適切です。
この地域では、毎年多くの観光___が訪れます。
「観光」するのは人なので、その数を数えるには「人」が適切です。
会議室には、20___以上の関係者が集まっていました。
「関係者」は人なので、その数を数えるには「人」を使います。
災害時には、ボランティアの___が必要です。
「ボランティア」は人なので、その数を数えるには「人」が適切です。この文脈では「多くの人」というニュアンスで使われます。
Choose the correct counter to ask 'How many people are there?' in a polite context.
While 何人 (nan nin) can be used, 何名様 (nan mei sama) is a more polite and formal way to ask about the number of people, often used in service industries.
Which sentence correctly uses the counter for 'two people' in a natural conversation?
For one person and two people, special readings 'hitori' (一人) and 'futari' (二人) are commonly used. For three or more, it's typically [number]人 (nin).
You are describing a group of foreign exchange students. How would you say 'three foreign students'?
The counter '人' (nin) is used after the number. The order is typically the noun followed by the number and counter.
The phrase '一名様' (ichimei-sama) is a polite way to refer to 'one person', often heard in customer service.
'一名様' (ichimei-sama) is indeed a very polite and formal way to refer to 'one person', especially in customer service or business settings.
When counting people, '一人' (hitori) and '二人' (futari) are always pronounced with 'nin' at the end.
'一人' (hitori) and '二人' (futari) are irregular readings for one and two people, respectively. They do not use the 'nin' suffix. For three or more people, 'nin' is typically used (e.g., 三人 - sannin).
It is always acceptable to use '何人' (nan nin) in any situation to ask 'how many people'.
While '何人' (nan nin) is generally understood, in formal or polite contexts (like in restaurants or when speaking to superiors), '何名様' (nan mei sama) is preferred for politeness.
You are writing a formal email to a Japanese business partner confirming attendance at a conference. State that three people from your company will be attending.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
この度は、貴社主催の会議にご招待いただき、誠にありがとうございます。弊社の代表として三人が参加させていただきます。当日を楽しみにしております。
Describe a situation where a group of people, specifically four individuals, needed to cooperate to solve a complex problem.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
先日、非常に複雑な技術的問題が発生しました。その際、四人のエンジニアが協力し、それぞれの専門知識を出し合うことで、無事に問題を解決することができました。チームワークの重要性を再認識しました。
You are a tour guide explaining that a specific historical site can only accommodate a maximum of five people per guided tour due to its delicate nature.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
この歴史的な建造物は非常にデリケートなため、ガイドツアーの定員は最大五人とさせていただいております。皆様のご理解とご協力をお願いいたします。
この研究チームがアンケート調査を行ったのは、何人以上の市民ですか？
Read this passage:
ある研究チームは、特定の社会現象について、百人以上の市民を対象にアンケート調査を実施しました。この調査は、その現象が社会に与える影響を多角的に分析することを目的としています。結果は近日中に発表される予定です。
この研究チームがアンケート調査を行ったのは、何人以上の市民ですか？
「百人以上の市民を対象にアンケート調査を実施しました」と明記されています。
「百人以上の市民を対象にアンケート調査を実施しました」と明記されています。
緊急会議に集まった主要な関係者は何人でしたか？
Read this passage:
緊急会議が招集され、主要な関係者六人が集まりました。議題は、差し迫ったプロジェクトの期限と、それに伴う人員配置の再検討でした。全員が真剣な面持ちで議論を交わし、解決策を模索しました。
緊急会議に集まった主要な関係者は何人でしたか？
「主要な関係者六人が集まりました」と書かれています。
「主要な関係者六人が集まりました」と書かれています。
環境問題に関するセッションで発表を行った著名な研究者は何人でしたか？
Read this passage:
先日開催された国際シンポジウムには、世界各国から数百人の専門家が参加しました。特に、環境問題に関するセッションでは、七人の著名な研究者がそれぞれの見解を発表し、活発な意見交換が行われました。その議論は多岐にわたり、未来に向けた具体的な提言も多く出されました。
環境問題に関するセッションで発表を行った著名な研究者は何人でしたか？
「七人の著名な研究者がそれぞれの見解を発表し」と記載されています。
「七人の著名な研究者がそれぞれの見解を発表し」と記載されています。
This sentence means 'More than twenty people gathered at the party.' '〜人' (nin) is a counter for people. Here, '二十人' (nijūnin) means 'twenty people.'
This sentence means 'There are nearly a hundred employees at that company.' '百人' (hyakunin) means 'a hundred people.'
This sentence means 'There are five people in my family in total.' '五人' (gonin) means 'five people.'
/ 48 correct
Perfect score!
Basic Usage: Counting People
To count people, you generally attach 〜人 (jin) to the number. For example, 一人 (hitori) means one person, 二人 (futari) means two people, and 三人 (sannin) means three people.
Irregular Readings for One and Two
Be aware that 一人 (hitori) and 二人 (futari) are irregular readings. For three people and up, the reading is usually more straightforward, like 三人 (sannin), 四人 (yonin), etc.
Asking 'How many people?'
To ask 'How many people?', you can use 何人 (nannin). For example, 何人ですか？ (Nannin desu ka?) means 'How many people are there?'
Using with Family Members
You can use 〜人 with family members to indicate the number of people in your family. For instance, 四人家族 (yonin kazoku) means a family of four.
Verwandte Inhalte
Dieses Wort in anderen Sprachen
Mehr general Wörter
いくつか
B1An unspecified small number of things; some, a few.
ちょっと
A2A little; a moment; a bit. Small amount or short time.
すこし
A2A little; a few.
さっき
A2A little while ago; a short time past.
能力
A1Nouryoku refers to the mental or physical power, skill, or capacity required to perform a specific task or function. It can describe both innate talent and skills acquired through learning and practice.
異常
A1A word used to describe something that deviates from the normal state, standard, or expected pattern. It often implies a problem, malfunction, or an extraordinary occurrence that requires attention or investigation.
～について
A2About, concerning; indicates topic.
〜について
B1About, concerning; on the subject of.
～ぐらい
A2about, approximately
ぐらい
A2About; approximately; to the extent of.
