Master JLPT N5 Kanji: 人 (Person / Human) Meaning & Readings

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Master JLPT N5 Kanji: 人 (Person / Human)

Whether you are describing your nationality, talking about a friend, or counting a group of individuals, this character is absolutely inescapable. Today, we are mastering one of the most foundational and frequently used characters in the entire Japanese language: 人.

📌 Quick Profile: 人

  • Meaning: Person, Human Being, Mankind

  • JLPT Level: N5 (Beginner)

  • Strokes: 2

  • Onyomi (Chinese Reading): ジン (jin), ニン (nin)

  • Kunyomi (Japanese Reading): ひと (hito), -びと (-bito)

📖 Readings & Core Vocabulary

The character 人 has highly versatile pronunciations depending on its usage context. Memorizing how it operates in these core compound words is essential for passing the N5 exam:

  • 人 (ひと – hito): Person

  • 日本人 (にほんじん – nihonjin): Japanese Person

  • 大人 (おとな – otona): Adult (Special reading)

  • 三人 (さんにん – sannin): Three people (Used as a counter for people)

  • 恋人 (こいびと – koibito): Lover / Significant other

💬 5 Natural Sentence Examples

To build true fluency, see how 人 operates organically inside live sentences. Here are 5 practical, level-appropriate example sentences designed specifically for N5 learners.

Example 1: Describing someone’s character

日本語: あの人はとても親切です。

Furigana: あのひとは とても しんせつです。

Romaji: Ano hito wa tomemo shinsetsu desu.

English: That person over there is very kind.

Example 2: Expressing nationality or background

日本語: 私の友達はアメリカ人です。

Furigana: わたしの ともだちは アメリカじんです。

Romaji: Watashi no tomodachi wa Amerika-jin desu.

English: My friend is an American person.

Example 3: Counting individuals (Structural N5 Counter)

日本語: 教室に学生が五人います。

Furigana: きょうしつに がくせいが ごにん います。

Romaji: Kyoushitsu ni gakusei ga gonin imasu.

English: There are five students in the classroom.

Example 4: Discussing maturity or ages

日本語: この映画は大人に人気があります。

Furigana: このえいがは おとなに にんきが あります。

Romaji: Kono eiga wa otona ni ninki ga arimasu.

English: This movie is popular with adults.

Example 5: Describing crowded spaces or populations

日本語: デパートに人がたくさんいました。

Furigana: デパートに ひとが たくさん いました。

Romaji: Depāto ni hito ga takusan imashita.

English: There were a lot of people in the department store.

💡 Mnemonics: How to Remember It?

Remembering 人 is simple because it is a direct pictograph:

  • Visualize a side profile drawing of a human being walking forward on two legs.

The left stroke is the person’s back and head leaning slightly forward into action, and the right stroke is the back leg supporting their weight. It is the literal symbol of mankind moving ahead!

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