人

• Reading: じん
• Romaji: jin
• Kanji breakdown: 人 (jin/nin/hito) — person, people
• Pronunciation: /dʑiɴ/

Meaning

Suffix meaning '-person' or '-ian.' Used to indicate nationality or affiliation.

When read as じん, this kanji functions as a suffix attached to country or place names to indicate a person from that place. For example, アメリカ人 (amerikajin, 'American'), 日本人 (nihonjin, 'Japanese person'). Different from 人 read as ひと, which means 'person' in general.

Examples

1. 私は日本人です。 I am Japanese.
2. あの人はアメリカ人ですか。 Is that person American?
3. クラスにフランス人の学生がいます。 There is a French student in the class.

Usage Guide

Context: nationality, self-introduction, describing people

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 人 is one of the oldest Chinese characters, depicting a person standing with legs apart. The じん reading comes from the Chinese on'yomi pronunciation.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal