JLPT N5 Kanji – A Guide to Reading “人”: Hito / Nin / Jin
Table of Contents
1. A Guide to Reading “人”
2. Overview of the Reading Differences
3. ひと
4. ニン
5. ジン
6. Summary
7. Similer Articles
8. Comment
Q: Why does the kanji “人” have different readings such as “ひと,” “ニン,” and “ジン”?
A: The kanji “人” has the kun reading “ひと” and the on readings “ニン” and “ジン.” There is no strict rule for when to use each; the reading tends to change depending on the type or meaning of the word it is combined with. This article explains these usage patterns in detail, divided into the categories “ひと,” “ニン,” and “ジン.”
Overview of the Reading Differences
Let’s first grasp the general tendencies, and then look at each point in detail.
| Reading | Usage Tendency | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ひと | Used when “人” stands alone to mean “a person.” | 人の心 A person’s heart / human mind 駅に人がたくさんいます。 There are many people at the station. |
| ニン | Used when expressing an action or role. | 管理人 Manager / caretaker このアパートは保証人が必要な物件です。 This apartment requires a guarantor. |
| ジン | Used when expressing affiliation or state. | 外国人 Foreigner わたしはカナダ人です。 I am Canadian. |
ひと
The reading “ひと” is used when the word “人” appears alone and not as part of a compound word.
It has a casual and gentle tone and is used to refer to a person themselves.
[Examples]
この会社は男の人より女の人が多いです。
There are more women than men in this company.
優しい人に道を教えてもらいました。
A kind person showed me the way.
あの人はだれですか。
Who is that person?
ニン
When “人” is read as “ニン,” there are mainly two tendencies:
① When combined with native Japanese words (和語) such as “山 (mountain)” or “川 (river).”
② When combined with verbs that express actions or behaviors (including Sino-Japanese words and する verbs in Group 3).
* It expresses the meaning of “a person who performs an action or behavior.”
[Commonly used words]
案内する (to guide), 管理する (to manage), 通行する (to pass through), 受け取る (to receive), 引き受ける (to take on), 差し出す (to send out), 立ち会う (to attend), etc.
There are few examples of ①, with “怪我人 (injured person)” being one of the rare cases.
② is much more common, used with words expressing actions, and conveys meanings such as “a person who does / is doing / did something.”
[Formation rules]
• For Group 3 (する verbs): remove “する／します” and add 人
Example: 管理します → 管理 + 人 → 管理人 (manager, caretaker)
• For other verbs: remove “ます” from the verb stem and add 人
Example: 差し出します → 差し出し + 人 → 差し出し人 (sender)
受け取ります → 受け取り + 人 → 受け取り人 (recipient)
[Examples]
大きな事故があり、怪我人が多数います。
There was a major accident, and many injured people were there.
⇒ It means “people who are injured.”
その荷物の差し出し人は誰ですか。
Who is the sender of this package?
⇒ It means “the person who sent (or delivered) the package.”
この道は通行人が多いです。
There are many pedestrians on this street.
このマンションの管理人は山田さんという人です。
The manager of this apartment building is a person named Mr. Yamada.
ジン
When “人” is read as “ジン,” there are mainly two tendencies:
① When combined with words that express affiliation, such as
- Country names
- Regions
- Fields or areas
- Historical periods (time)
② When combined with words that express state or condition, such as
- な adjectives that describe a state
- Words related to mental or intellectual abilities
Note: “ジン” is not used with native Japanese words (和語) but only with Sino-Japanese words (漢語).
①-1 Country names
[Examples]
ヤンさんは中国人です。
Mr. Yang is Chinese.
あの人は韓国語を話しているから韓国人かな。
That person is speaking Korean, so I wonder if they are Korean.
①-2 Regions
[Commonly used words]
外国 (foreign country), 異国 (another country), 宇宙 (outer space), names of planets (such as Mars), etc.
[Examples]
外国人の入国は別の窓口に行かなければならないんです。
Foreign visitors must go to a separate counter for entry procedures.
関西人はおもしろい人が多いそうですよ。
It’s said that people from Kansai tend to be very funny.
①-3 Fields or areas
[Commonly used words]
芸能 (entertainment), 一般 (general), 民間 (private sector), 国際 (international), 社会 (society), etc.
[Examples]
道で偶然、芸能人を見ました。
I happened to see a celebrity on the street.
息子は来年、社会人になります。
My son will become a member of society next year.
申し込みをすれば、一般人も国会議事堂に入れます。
If you apply in advance, ordinary citizens can also enter the National Diet Building.
①-4 Historical periods (time)
[Commonly used words]
原始 (primitive), 現代 (modern), etc.
[Examples]
原始人は自分たちで何でも作っていました。
Primitive people made everything by themselves.
現代人は便利なものに頼りすぎています。
Modern people rely too much on convenient things.
②-1 State
[Commonly used words]
有名 (famous), 著名 (well-known), 自由 (free), etc.
[Examples]
今日は有名人のサイン会があります。
There is an autograph session with a famous person today.
あの人は自由人だから、いつどこにいるのかわからないよ。
That person is a free spirit, so no one knows when or where they’ll be.
②-2 Words related to mental or intellectual abilities
[Commonly used words]
知識 (knowledge), 常識 (common sense), etc.
[Examples]
彼は幅広い分野に精通した知識人として知られています。
He is known as an intellectual who is well-versed in a wide range of fields.
彼はだらしなく見えますが、いざというときは常識人らしい発言をしますよ。
He may look sloppy, but when it matters, he speaks like a sensible person.
Summary
| Reading | Usage Tendency | Commonly Used Words | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| ひと | Used when “人 (person)” appears alone. | – | この人はだれですか。 Who is this person? |
| ニン | ① When combined with native Japanese words (和語) such as “山 (mountain), 川 (river)” etc. ② When combined with words expressing actions or behaviors (including Sino-Japanese words and する verbs). | 怪我 (injury)、案内する (guide)、管理する (manage)、通行する (pass through)、受け取る (receive)、引き受ける (take on)、差し出す (send out)、立ち会う (attend) etc. | 事故があったが、怪我人は少なかったです。 There was an accident, but few people were injured. 荷物の受け取り人はサインをしなければなりません。 The recipient of the package must sign. 初めて来た町なので、案内人がいて助かりました。 Since it was my first time visiting this town, I was glad there was a guide. |
| ジン | ① When combined with words expressing affiliation (such as country, region, field, or era). ② When combined with words expressing state (such as な adjectives, or those related to mind and ability). | 国 (country name)、関西 (Kansai)、社会 (society)、現代 (modern times)、有名 (famous)、自由 (free)、知識 (knowledge)、常識 (common sense) etc. * “ジン” is used only with Sino-Japanese words, not with native Japanese words. | 宇宙人って本当にいるのかな。 I wonder if aliens really exist. 彼は国内外で活躍する著名人です。 He is a well-known figure active both in Japan and abroad. |
Similer Articles
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