Who is that person?
駅で知らない人に話しかけられた。
A stranger spoke to me at the station.
Refers to humans as a species or collective, often in contrast to animals, nature, or machines.
人は考える葦である。
Man is a thinking reed.
人は誰でも間違えることがある。
Everyone makes mistakes sometimes.
Biological or anthropological term for the species Homo sapiens. Usually written in katakana as ヒト.
ヒトの進化について研究している。
I am researching the evolution of humans.
Used when contrasting oneself with other people, or when talking about people in general outside one's own group.
人の意見を聞くのは大切だ。
It is important to listen to other people's opinions.
人に迷惑をかけてはいけない。
You must not cause trouble for others.
character; personality; nature
Refers to a person's inner character or disposition. Often used in phrases like 人がいい (good-natured) or 人を見る (judge someone's character).
彼は人がいいから、頼みやすい。
He is good-natured, so it's easy to ask him for favors.
人を見る目がある。
She has an eye for judging people's character.
capable person; right person
Used when identifying someone suitable for a task or role. Often in expressions like 人を得る (get the right person) or 人を探す (look for a suitable person).
この仕事にふさわしい人を探している。
We are looking for the right person for this job.
Refers to an adult as opposed to a child. Often used in contexts like 人になる (become an adult) or 人として (as an adult).
もう人としての責任を持ちなさい。
Take responsibility as an adult now.
Used when rebuking or criticizing someone, often in a self-referential way to emphasize the speaker's position. Can sound old-fashioned or rhetorical.
人をそんなふうに呼ぶんじゃない。
Don't call me like that! (literally: Don't call a person like that!)
This shop is always crowded with people.
He's so good-natured that people easily take advantage of him.
The president has a good eye for judging people's character.
We're looking for the right person for this project.
He has grown into a fine adult.
That's a shameful thing for a person to do.
人 is the plain, everyday word for a person or people, whereas 人類 is an abstract, scientific term for the human species as a whole.
人 is the plain, everyday word for 'person/people', whereas 人様 is a more formal, respectful way to refer to others.
人 is the neutral, everyday word for 'person', whereas お方 is explicitly honorific and reserved for respectful or formal speech.
人 is a gender-neutral word for a person, while マン in role compounds often carries a male or foreign-flavored nuance even when it just means '-person'.
other people's affairs; someone else's problem
married woman · someone else's wife; another man's wife
in front of others; in public; presence of other people
hostage
someone else's hands; someone else's possession · worker; aide; helping hand · labor; manpower; help; assistance · human hand; human act
ordinary person; commoner; untitled individual
murder; murderer
personality; character; personal appearance; gentility
villager
public eye; attention; notice
traveler; tourist; wayfarer
little person (folklore/fantasy); fairy; elf; gnome; dwarf · little person (dwarfism); dwarf; midget
other people; others
ordinary; average; like most people
crowd of people; throng
more than others; twice as much; extraordinarily
good-naturedness; soft-heartedness · good-natured person; soft touch; easy mark
socializing; personal relations; getting along with people
crowd; turnout; number of people out
human habitation; village; settlement
personal assistant; attendant; chaperon
human skin · body warmth; warmth of the skin
mistaking one person for another; mistaken identity
helping others; kind deed; kindness
friendly; sociable; affectionate (toward people)
skull; cranium · kanji "person" radical at top
figure of a person; human figure · shadow of a person