Japanese word

人間

Pronunciation

Romajiningen

Meaning

  • nounhuman

Example

人間は言葉を使います。nin gen wa koto ba o tsuka i ma su

Humans use language.

Illustration for 人間 (human)

More examples

人間は水を飲みます。nin gen wa mizu o no mi ma su

Humans drink water.

人間は互いに助け合います。nin gen wa taga i ni tasu ke a i ma su

Humans help one another.

Core concept

Refers to a person as a member of humanity, with the context showing whether the individual or the whole species is meant.

Common phrases

  • 人間関係nin gen kan kei

    human relationships

  • 人間の体nin gen no karada

    the human body

  • 人間の心nin gen no kokoro

    the human mind

Similar words

人hito: A person viewed as an individual.
者mono: A person described by a role, action, or condition.

Definition in Japanese

人類を構成する一人の人。また、人類全体。jin rui o kō sei su ru hito ri no hito ma ta jin rui zen tai

Word origin

人間 (ningen) combines 人 (nin, "person") with 間 (gen, "space or interval") and comes from an older Chinese term for the human world.

Usage tips

  • Japanese often uses 人間らしい (ningen rashii) for behavior seen as characteristically human, including both kindness and ordinary mistakes.

Other meanings

  • personnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word