When counting people in Japanese, you generally attach 「人 (にん)」 to the end of the number. For example, 「三人 (さんにん)」 means "three people." However, there are two important exceptions to remember: one person and two people.
For "one person," you say 「一人 (ひとり)」, not 「一人 (いちにん)」. For "two people," you say 「二人 (ふたり)」, not 「二人 (ににん)」.
For all other numbers (three and above), you can reliably use the 「～人 (～にん)」 pattern. For example, 「四人 (よにん)」 for four people, 「五人 (ごにん)」 for five people, and so on.
This counter is essential for everyday conversations, so mastering these forms will greatly improve your fluency when talking about groups of people.
When counting people in Japanese, the counter ～人 (jin/nin) is attached to the end of the number. The pronunciation changes depending on the number. For example, 1 person is 一人 (hitori), and 2 people is 二人 (futari). For 3 or more people, it generally follows the pattern of (number) + 人 (nin), like 三人 (sannin) for 3 people, or 四人 (yonin) for 4 people.
～人 30초 만에
- Use with numbers to count people.
- Often read as '-nin' except for special cases.
- Essential for quantifying individuals in Japanese.
§ What is ～人 (jin)?
The Japanese suffix ～人 (jin) is a crucial counter for people. You'll hear and use it constantly. It's often used to specify nationalities, but its use goes beyond that. It's a foundational piece of vocabulary for expressing quantities of people, identifying groups, and talking about demographics.
- DEFINITION
- person, people (counter)
§ Nationalities and Origins
This is probably the most common way you'll encounter ～人 (jin). When you want to say someone is from a certain country, you attach ～人 (jin) to the country's name. This is super useful in any conversation where you're meeting new people or talking about different cultures.
アメリカ人ですか？
- HINT
- Are you American?
彼女は日本人です。
- HINT
- She is Japanese.
You'll hear this in news reports when discussing international relations, at school when talking about exchange students, or at work when dealing with international colleagues. It's an indispensable part of communicating about people's backgrounds.
§ Counting People
Beyond nationalities, ～人 (jin) is used to count people in general. However, for counting 1, 2, or 4+ people, different words are used. For 3 people, you would say 三人 (sannin).
一人 (hitori) - one person
二人 (futari) - two people
三人 (sannin) - three people
四人 (yonin) - four people
五人 (gonin) - five people
You'll use this often when making reservations, asking about the size of a group, or describing a scene with people in it.
何人いますか？
- HINT
- How many people are there?
家族は四人です。
- HINT
- There are four people in my family.
§ Professions and Affiliations
While not always, sometimes ～人 (jin) can be used in a broader sense to indicate a type of person, often related to a profession or affiliation. This is less common than nationalities but still relevant.
彼は学者人です。
- HINT
- He is a scholar (person).
You might hear this in academic settings or formal discussions. However, be aware that many professions have their own specific terms and don't always use ～人 (jin).
Understanding ～人 (jin) is a fundamental step in building your Japanese vocabulary. It's practical, versatile, and you'll encounter it in almost every conversation you have. Keep practicing and you'll master it in no time!
§ Don't mix up ひとり (hitori) and ふたり (futari) with いちじん (ichijin) and ににん (ninin)
This is probably the most common mistake English speakers make when using ～人. For one person and two people, Japanese has special readings: ひとり (hitori) for one person and ふたり (futari) for two people. You absolutely cannot say いちじん (ichijin) for one person or ににん (ninin) for two people. It's a dead giveaway that you're new to Japanese. After two people, the regular counting pattern with ～人 (nin) kicks in. So, for three people, it's さんにん (sannin), four people is よにん (yonin), and so on.
家族は四人です。
My family has four people.
ここに一人います。
There is one person here.
§ Using ～人 for professions/nationalities incorrectly
While ～人 can indicate a person, it's not always interchangeable with terms for professions or nationalities, even though it's part of those words. For example, 日本人 (Nihonjin) means 'Japanese person'. However, you wouldn't typically say "私は日本人です一人" (Watashi wa Nihonjin desu hitori) to mean "I am one Japanese person." You'd simply say "私は日本人です" (Watashi wa Nihonjin desu). The counter ～人 is for counting the number of individuals, not for emphasizing a single instance of a category.
- Correct usage
- 日本人が三人います。(Nihonjin ga sannin imasu.) - There are three Japanese people.
- Incorrect usage
- 私は日本人です一人。(Watashi wa Nihonjin desu hitori.)
§ Forgetting to use a counter when counting people
In Japanese, when you count people, you almost always need a counter. Just saying the number isn't enough. While in English you can say "There are three people," in Japanese, you need to attach ～人 (or ひとり/ふたり) to the number. Leaving it out makes your sentence sound incomplete or incorrect.
部屋に五人います。
There are five people in the room.
- Incorrect
- 部屋に五います。(Heya ni go imasu.) - This sounds like 'There are five in the room', but it's missing the 'people' counter.
§ Confusing ～人 with ～名 (mei) in formal settings
While ～人 is the general counter for people, in very formal situations, especially in business or service industries, you might hear or see ～名 (mei). For example, a restaurant host might ask "何名様ですか？" (Nanmei-sama desu ka?) meaning "How many people (are in your party)?" instead of "何人ですか？" (Nannin desu ka?). It's important to recognize this difference, even if you're not expected to use ～名 yourself right away. Using ～名 adds a layer of politeness and formality.
- Example of ～名
- 二名様でございます。(Nimei-sama de gozaimasu.) - It is for two people (formal).
§ The Question Word: 何人 (nannin)
To ask "how many people?", you use 何人 (nannin). The '何' (nani) changes its reading to 'nan' when combined with 'nin'. Don't use 'nanjin' or 'nanbito'. Stick with 'nannin' for asking about the quantity of people.
パーティーには何人来ますか？
How many people are coming to the party?
- ひとり (hitori): One person
- ふたり (futari): Two people
- さんにん (sannin): Three people
- よにん (yonin): Four people (not よんにん)
- ごにん (gonin): Five people
- ろくにん (rokunin): Six people
- ななにん (nananin) OR しちにん (shichinin): Seven people
- はちにん (hachinin): Eight people
- きゅうにん (kyuunin) OR くにん (kunin): Nine people
- じゅうにん (juunin): Ten people
- 何人 (nannin): How many people?
How Formal Is It?
"ご婦人方はあちらへどうぞ。 (Go fujin-gata wa achira e douzo.) Hint: Ladies, please go that way."
"あの人は私の先生です。 (Ano hito wa watashi no sensei desu.) Hint: That person is my teacher."
"あいつは本当に面白いやつだ。 (Aitsu wa hontou ni omoshiroi yatsu da.) Hint: That guy is really interesting."
"ほら、お人形さんだよ。 (Hora, oningyou-san da yo.) Hint: Look, it's a doll (a little person)."
"あの野郎、また遅刻かよ。 (Ano yarou, mata chikoku ka yo.) Hint: That jerk, late again?"
재미있는 사실
The pronunciation of 人 changes depending on its context. As a standalone word, it's 'hito' (person). As a counter or suffix, it's often 'nin' (e.g., 一人 ichi-nin - one person, but also hitori), 'jin' (e.g., アメリカ人 Amerika-jin - American person), or 'ri' (e.g., 二人 futari - two people).
난이도
short
short
short
short
다음에 무엇을 배울까
선수 학습
다음에 배울 것
고급
수준별 예문
日本人はお箸を使うのが上手です。
Japanese people are skilled at using chopsticks.
〜人 (jin) combines with 'Nihon' (Japan) to form 'Nihonjin' (Japanese person/people).
このクラスには外国人がたくさんいます。
There are many foreigners in this class.
外国人 (gaikokujin) means 'foreigner' or 'non-Japanese person'.
彼はとても親切な人です。
He is a very kind person.
Here, 人 (hito) is used generally to mean 'person' without a country prefix.
家族は五人です。
There are five people in my family.
五人 (gonin) is a counter for people. Note the irregular reading for 5 people.
一人で旅行するのは好きですか？
Do you like traveling alone?
一人 (hitori) means 'one person' or 'alone'. Note the irregular reading.
私たちはみんな地球人です。
We are all Earthlings.
地球人 (chikyūjin) means 'Earthling' or 'person from Earth'.
何人いますか？
How many people are there?
何人 (nannin) is the interrogative for asking 'how many people'.
彼女は本当に魅力的な人ですね。
She's a really charming person, isn't she?
魅力的な人 (miryokuteki na hito) uses 人 in a descriptive way to describe someone's personality.
자주 혼동되는 단어
This is a counter for small animals. Don't confuse it with people!
This is a counter for long, cylindrical objects like pens or bottles. Not for people.
This is a counter for machines, vehicles, and large pieces of furniture. Definitely not for people!
혼동하기 쉬운
Many students get confused between the Japanese word for 'person' (人 - hito) and the counter for people (～人 - nin/jin). While they both use the same kanji, their readings and grammatical functions are different.
人 (hito) is a noun meaning 'person' or 'people' in general. For example, 『あの人は誰ですか？』(Ano hito wa dare desu ka?) means 'Who is that person?'. On the other hand, ～人 (nin/jin) is a counter used when counting people, like in 『一人の学生』(Hitori no gakusei) meaning 'one student'.
彼らは三人です。 (Karera wa san-nin desu.) They are three people. / 彼らは人です。(Karera wa hito desu.) They are people.
This is a special case. While most counters for people use the 'nin' reading (e.g., 二人 - futari, 三人 - san-nin), 'hitori' (一人) is specifically for 'one person'. Its reading doesn't follow the regular 'ichi-nin' pattern, which can be tricky.
It's the specific reading for one person. It doesn't mean 'one person' as in 'a person who is alone', but rather 'one individual'.
私は一人で旅行しました。(Watashi wa hitori de ryokō shimashita.) I traveled alone.
Similar to 一人 (hitori), 二人 (futari) is an irregular reading for 'two people'. It doesn't follow the 'ni-nin' pattern. This irregularity often catches learners off guard.
It's the specific reading for two people. It doesn't mean 'two people' as in 'a pair of people', but rather 'two individuals'.
彼らは二人で映画に行きました。(Karera wa futari de eiga ni ikimashita.) They went to the movie as two people.
The 'jin' reading in this context often leads to confusion. Students sometimes think it means 'Japanese people' in a general sense, which is true, but it's also a counter for nationalities.
While it describes a person's nationality, it also functions as a counter. For example, in 『アメリカ人は二人います』(Amerika-jin wa futari imasu), 'アメリカ人' acts as the noun meaning 'Americans', and '二人' is the counter.
私は日本人です。(Watashi wa Nihon-jin desu.) I am Japanese.
While not directly related to '～人' as a counter for people, '個' (ko) is a general counter for small, inanimate objects. Students sometimes mistakenly try to use it for people when they are unsure of the correct counter.
Use '個' for general objects, not for people. For example, 『リンゴを三個ください』(Ringo o san-ko kudasai) means 'Please give me three apples'. It's never used for counting people.
鉛筆を一個ください。(Enpitsu o ik-ko kudasai.) Please give me one pencil.
어휘 가족
명사
암기하기
기억법
Think of 'jin' as 'gin' and imagine a 'gin' bottle shaped like a person. For 'nin', think of 'nin-ja' and a ninja is a person.
시각적 연상
Imagine a line of people, and each person has a little tag with '人' on it, signifying they are being counted.
Word Web
챌린지
Try counting the people in your family using ～人. For example, '私の家族は三人です。' (My family has three people.)
어원
Native Japanese.
원래 의미: The character 人 (hito) originally depicted a standing person. When used as a suffix ～人 (jin), it functions as a counter for people or indicates nationality/affiliation.
Japonic문화적 맥락
The use of ～人 (jin/nin/ri) is fundamental in Japanese for referring to people, groups, and nationalities. It's an integral part of polite and everyday communication, making it essential for learners to master for accurate and natural-sounding Japanese. Pay close attention to the pronunciation shifts as they are often exceptions to general rules but are very common.
자주 묻는 질문
10 질문That's a great question! While both relate to 'person' or 'people,' they function differently. 人 (hito) is a standalone noun meaning 'person' or 'human being.' You can use it like this: あの人はだれですか？ (Who is that person?).
～人 (jin/nin), on the other hand, is a counter suffix. It attaches to numbers or countries to indicate a quantity of people or nationality. For example: 三人 (sannin) means 'three people,' and 日本人 (nihonjin) means 'Japanese person.' So, you wouldn't say 'hito' after a number, you'd use 'nin' or 'jin.'
Excellent question about pronunciation! The pronunciation of ～人 can be tricky because it depends on what comes before it. It's usually pronounced either 'jin' or 'nin.'
You'll typically hear 'jin' when it's used to indicate nationality, like アメリカ人 (amerikajin - American person) or フランス人 (furansujin - French person).
You'll usually hear 'nin' when it's used as a counter for a number of people, like 五人 (gonin - five people) or 何人 (nannin - how many people?). There are a few exceptions, though, like 一人 (hitori - one person) and 二人 (futari - two people), which have irregular readings. Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it with practice!
Good question! You can use ～人 for more than just nationality. While it's very common for nationality (e.g., 中国人 - chuugokujin - Chinese person), it's also used as a general counter for people.
For example, you can say: パーティーに何人来ますか？ (How many people are coming to the party?).
You might also see it in combinations to describe someone's role or characteristic, though less commonly than just counting. For nationality and counting, you're definitely on the right track.
Yes, absolutely! This is a super important point. While most numbers with ～人 follow the 'nin' reading, there are two key exceptions you need to memorize:
1. 一人 (hitori): This means 'one person.' Notice it's not 'ichinin.'
2. 二人 (futari): This means 'two people.' Again, it's not 'ninin.'
For three or more, you'll generally use 'nin' (e.g., 三人 - sannin). These two irregular readings are very common, so try to commit them to memory!
That's a very practical question! To ask 'how many people?' using ～人, you use 何人 (nannin).
For example:
家族は何人ですか？ (How many people are in your family?)
部屋に何人いますか？ (How many people are in the room?)
It directly translates to 'what number of people?' and is highly versatile.
Another excellent comparative question! Both ～人 and ～名 (mei) are counters for people, but they have different levels of formality.
～人 is the common, everyday way to count people. It's perfectly fine for most situations.
～名 (mei) is a more polite and formal counter for people. You'll often hear it in business settings, at restaurants when making reservations, or in formal announcements. For example, a restaurant might confirm 三名様 (sanmei-sama) for 'three guests.'
For general conversation, stick with ～人. If you're in a more formal situation, ～名 is a good option.
Not really, no. While ～人 is for counting people or indicating nationality, it's generally not used for professions or roles.
For professions, you'd use the specific Japanese word for that profession. For example:
先生 (sensei) for teacher
医者 (isha) for doctor
学生 (gakusei) for student
You wouldn't say 'teacher-jin' or 'doctor-nin.' Keep ～人 for counting or nationality.
This is a key point to clarify! The difference really comes down to context:
You'll almost always hear 'jin' when ～人 is attached to a country name to form a nationality.
Example: イギリス人 (igirisujin - British person), 韓国人 (kankokujin - Korean person).
You'll almost always hear 'nin' when ～人 is attached to a number (except for 'hitori' and 'futari') to count people.
Example: 四人 (yonin - four people), 十人 (juunin - ten people).
If you remember this basic rule, you'll be correct most of the time!
Yes, you absolutely can! When you're counting family members, ～人 is the natural counter to use.
For example:
家族は四人です。 (My family has four people.)
兄弟は二人います。 (I have two siblings.)
Remember the irregular readings for one and two people: 一人 (hitori) and 二人 (futari). So, if you have one sibling, you'd say 兄弟は一人います。 (I have one sibling.).
Good question! Being aware of common mistakes can help you avoid them. Here are a few:
1. Forgetting hitori/futari: Many learners initially use 'ichinin' and 'ninin,' but remember the correct forms are 一人 (hitori) and 二人 (futari).
2. Confusing 人 (hito) and ～人: As we discussed, 人 (hito) is a standalone noun, while ～人 is a counter suffix. Don't mix them up!
3. Using it for non-human things: ～人 is strictly for people. You wouldn't use it to count animals or objects.
4. Overusing 'jin': Remember 'jin' is mostly for nationality, 'nin' for counting numbers of people.
Keep practicing, and you'll master ～人 in no time!
셀프 테스트 24 질문
You are at a party. Introduce yourself and mention how many people are in your family. Use the counter ～人 (nin) for people. For example, '私の家族は三人です。' (My family has three people).
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
初めまして。私の家族は四人です。
You are making plans with a friend. Ask them how many people they are bringing to a gathering. Use the interrogative '何人' (nan nin) for 'how many people'. For example, '何人来ますか？' (How many people are coming?).
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
パーティーに何人来ますか。
Describe a simple scene where there are people. For example, '公園にたくさんの人がいます。' (There are many people in the park). Use '～人' to count or describe people.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
カフェに二人の人がいます。
田中さんの部署には何人の人がいますか？
Read this passage:
田中さんは、東京に住んでいます。彼の会社には、たくさんの人が働いています。特に、彼の部署には五人の人がいます。
田中さんの部署には何人の人がいますか？
The passage states '彼の部署には五人の人がいます。' (There are five people in his department).
The passage states '彼の部署には五人の人がいます。' (There are five people in his department).
写真のクラスには、何人の学生がいますか？
Read this passage:
これは私のクラスの写真です。先生を含めて、全部で二十人の学生がいます。みんなとても元気です。
写真のクラスには、何人の学生がいますか？
The passage says '全部で二十人の学生がいます。' (There are twenty students in total).
The passage says '全部で二十人の学生がいます。' (There are twenty students in total).
友達は何人いますか？
Read this passage:
私の友達は三人です。一人はアメリカ人、一人は中国人、そしてもう一人は日本人です。みんな違う国の人です。
友達は何人いますか？
The passage starts with '私の友達は三人です。' (I have three friends).
The passage starts with '私の友達は三人です。' (I have three friends).
Listen for the nationality.
Listen for the question about quantity.
Listen for the number of people and their nationality.
Read this aloud:
あなたはどこの人ですか？
Focus: do-ko no hi-to de-su ka
당신의 답변:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
彼は中国人です。
Focus: ka-re wa chuu-goku-jin de-su
당신의 답변:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
家族は何人ですか？
Focus: ka-zoku wa nan-nin de-su ka
당신의 답변:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
This sentence asks 'How many students are in the class?' '何人 (nanin)' means 'how many people'.
This sentence means 'My family has three people.' '三人 (sannin)' means three people.
This sentence means 'Ten people came to the party.' '十人 (juunin)' means ten people.
パーティーに何___来ますか？ (How many people are coming to the party?)
「人」は人を数えるときに使われる助数詞です。(Jin is a counter used for people.)
この会社には200___以上の従業員がいます。 (This company has over 200 employees.)
「名」は人を数える丁寧な助数詞です。文脈によっては「人」も使えます。(Mei is a polite counter for people. Jin can also be used depending on the context.)
家族は全部で五___です。 (There are five people in my family in total.)
「人」は人を数える助数詞です。(Jin is a counter for people.)
「三人」は「さんじん」と読みます。 (三人 is read as 'sanjin'.)
「三人」は「さんにん」と読みます。(三人 is read as 'sannin'.)
「日本人」は「Japanese people」という意味です。 (日本人 means 'Japanese people'.)
「日本人」は「にほんじん」と読み、日本国籍の人を指します。(日本人 is read as 'nihonjin' and refers to people of Japanese nationality.)
「一人」と「二人」は特別な読み方をします。 (一人 and 二人 have special readings.)
「一人」は「ひとり」、「二人」は「ふたり」と読みます。三以降は「三人（さんにん）」のように「数＋人（にん）」となります。(一人 is read as 'hitori' and 二人 is read as 'futari'. From three onwards, it's 'number + nin', like 三人 (sannin).)
/ 24 correct
Perfect score!
Summary
～人 is a fundamental counter used with numbers to specify the quantity of people.
- Use with numbers to count people.
- Often read as '-nin' except for special cases.
- Essential for quantifying individuals in Japanese.
관련 콘텐츠
general 관련 단어
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.
