Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 に 知ち 人じん がいる to have an acquaintance (somewhere/of some kind)
He has an acquaintance in New York.
知ち 人じん を 紹しょう 介かい する to introduce an acquaintance (to someone)
My friend introduced me to a business acquaintance.
知ち 人じん の 紹しょう 介かい で through the introduction of an acquaintance
I joined this company through an acquaintance's introduction.
知ち 人じん に 会あ う to run into an acquaintance
I ran into an acquaintance at the station.
Related words· 8 友人 implies a closer, more personal friendship, while 知人 is a broader term that includes casual acquaintances.
友達 is the everyday, casual word for a friend, whereas 知人 is more formal and can refer to someone you barely know socially.
知り合い is the conversational equivalent of 知人 , used in everyday speech, while 知人 sounds slightly more formal or written.
知人 is the common, everyday word for an acquaintance, while 知己 is a more formal or literary term for the same relationship.
Show 4 more Show fewer 知人 means an acquaintance you actually know, whereas 他人 can refer to a complete stranger as well as anyone outside one's circle.
知人 is a formal word for an acquaintance in general, whereas 面識 specifically emphasizes having actually met the person face-to-face.
知人 is a neutral term for any acquaintance, whereas 旧知 specifically implies a long, trusted relationship.
知人 refers to someone one knows without implying closeness, while 交友 specifically implies a friendly relationship.
Etymology Compound of 知 (chi, 'to know') and 人 (jin, 'person'), literally 'known person'. The reading is on'yomi.
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