委員

• Reading: いいん
• Romaji: iin
• Kanji breakdown: 委 (i) — entrust, delegate; 員 (in) — member, personnel
• Pronunciation: /iː.n/

Meaning

Committee member; commissioner. A person appointed to serve on a committee.

A noun used extensively in school, government, and organisational contexts. In Japanese schools, students are assigned committee roles such as 学級委員 (class representative), 図書委員 (library committee member), and 保健委員 (health committee member). In government, 委員会 (committee) is a key decision-making body. The word carries connotations of responsibility and duty.

Examples

1. 彼女は文化祭の実行委員に選ばれた。 She was chosen as an executive committee member for the school festival.
2. 委員会の会議は毎週月曜日にある。 The committee meeting is held every Monday.
3. クラスの委員を決める投票をした。 We held a vote to decide the class committee member.

Usage Guide

Context: school, government, organisations

Tone: formal

Origin & History

Composed of 委 (entrust, delegate) and 員 (member, person). Together they describe a person entrusted with a specific responsibility within a group.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal