L1. Daily Japanese Kanji — 人
Days 11-20
R-report
[Day 11] 人 - person
The character 人 originally comes from a simple pictograph of a standing person and is one of the most common kanji in Japanese: it denotes a person, people, or matters related to humans. You see it in everyday words about people, roles, population, and social traits. Readings: - On'yomi (Chinese readings): ジン (jin) and ニン (nin). Common compounds: 人口(じんこう jinkō, "population"), 人気(にんき ninki, "popularity"). - Kun'yomi (native Japanese): ひと (hito). Example: 一人(ひとり hitori, "one person"). Mnemonic tip: imagine the kanji as a simple sketch of a person standing with legs apart — that helps recall the meaning "person."
Readings
On'yomi: **ジン / ニン** (jin / nin) Kun'yomi: **ひと** (hito)
Related words
- 人(ひと / hito) — person. - 公園でたくさんの**人**がいます。 (Kōen de takusan no hito ga imasu. "There are many people in the park.")
- 人間(にんげん / ningen) — human; human being. - 彼は優しい**人間**です。 (Kare wa yasashii ningen desu. "He is a kind person.")
- 人気(にんき / ninki) — popularity. - この歌はとても**人気**があります。 (Kono uta wa totemo ninki ga arimasu. "This song is very popular.")
- 人口(じんこう / jinkō) — population. - この市の**人口**が増えています。 (Kono shi no jinkō ga fueteimasu. "The population of this city is increasing.")
- 大人(おとな / otona) — adult. - このイベントは**大人**向けです。 (Kono ibento wa otona-muke desu. "This event is for adults.")

