Japanese word

他人

Pronunciation

Romajitanin

Meaning

  • nounother people

Example

他人に親切にします。ta nin ni shin setsu ni shi ma su

I am kind to other people.

Illustration for 他人 (other people)

More examples

他人に迷惑をかけないようにします。ta nin ni mei waku o ka ke na i yō ni shi ma su

I try not to cause trouble for other people.

Core concept

Places a person on the outside of one's own group, whether the reference is to one individual or several people.

Common phrases

  • 他人の迷惑ta nin no mei waku

    trouble for other people

  • 他人の家ta nin no ie

    another person's house

Similar words

他者tasha: It describes a person viewed as separate from oneself or one's own group.
人様hitosama: It is a respectful way to refer to other people.

Definition in Japanese

自分や身内ではない人。ji bun ya mi uchi de wa na i hito

Word origin

他 (ta, "other") combines with 人 (nin, "person") to make 他人 (tanin), a word for someone viewed as separate from oneself.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, 他人 (tanin) often points to someone outside the speaker's personal circle, so it can sound more distant than a neutral reference to another person.

Other meanings

  • another personnoun
  • strangernoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word