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人間 (にんげん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

人にん間げん

に

ん

げ

ん

Common word›JLPTN3›Freq.FrequencyTop 500

Meanings

1

human being; person; mankind

Refers to humans as a species, an individual person, or humanity collectively. Common in everyday speech and writing.

人にん間げんは考かんがえる葦あしである。
Man is a thinking reed.

彼かれはとても優やさしい人にん間げんだ。

He is a very kind person.

2

character; personality

Used to describe a person's nature or character, often in phrases like 人間ができている (mature, well-rounded) or 人間が小さい (petty).

彼かれは人にん間げんができている。
He has a well-rounded character.
あの人ひとは人にん間げんが小ちいさい。
That person is petty.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉を人にん間げんとして扱あつかうto treat someone as a human being
戦せん争そう中ちゅうでも彼かれらは捕ほ虜りょを人にん間げんとして扱あつかった。
Even during the war, they treated the prisoners as human beings.
人にん間げんが大おおきいto have a broad, generous character
彼かれは失しっ敗ぱいした部ぶ下かを責せめない、人にん間げんが大おおきい人ひとだ。
He doesn't blame subordinates who make mistakes; he's a big-hearted person.

Expressions· 11

人にん間げんの盾たてhuman shield
人にん間げんのクズscum of society; good-for-nothing; vermin
人にん間げんの堕だ落らくthe Fall of Man; the Fall
ちっちゃい人にん間げんsmall-minded person; person of poor character
一ひと角かどの人にん間げんsomeone of importance; a person of stature

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人にん間げんができているmature and kind; well-balanced as a person; a good person
人にん間げんは万ばん物ぶつの霊れい長ちょうman is the crown of creation
人にん間げん万ばん事じ塞さい翁おうが馬うまlife is full of ups and downs; fortune is unpredictable

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Kanji

人person
間interval, space

Related words

人ひとN5sense 1
人間 stresses a person's humanity or character, while 人 is the plain, neutral word for 'a person' used in everyday speech and counting.
人じん類るいN3sense 1
人類 is a formal, scientific term for humankind as a species, whereas 人間 can also mean a single individual and sounds more everyday.
地ち球きゅう人じん
地球人 emphasizes a person's origin from Earth (often in contrast to aliens), while 人間 is the neutral, general word for a human being with no such contrast implied.

Opposites

動どう物ぶつN5sense 1
動物 refers to animals in general, often contrasted with 人間 to highlight what makes humans distinct.
獣けものN1
人間 means a human being possessing reason and civility, standing in contrast to 獣, which implies a creature lacking such human qualities.

Don't confuse with

人にん間げん性せいN1
人間 means a concrete 'human being' or 'person', while 人間性 refers to the abstract quality of being human; learners may confuse the two because they share the same kanji.

Counted with

人にん
counter for people

Word family· 71

人にん間げん味み
humanity; human warmth; human touch
人にん間げんらしい
human; humane; like a decent person
人にん間げんドック
comprehensive medical check-up; thorough physical examination

Written forms

人にん間げんUsage100%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency word.
ニンゲンUsage<1%

Etymology

Compound of 人 (nin, 'person') and 間 (gen, 'space, between'), originally meaning 'the human world' or 'among people'. The modern meaning 'human being' developed from this.

真ま人にん間げん

good citizen; honest person; respectable member of society

人にん間げん像ぞう

image of a person; portrait of humanity

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人にん間げん性せいN1
humanity; human nature
亜あ人にん間げん
demi-human; subhuman
人にん間げん力りょく
human skills; personal competence; life skills
人にん間げん化か
humanization
人にん間げん型がた
humanoid
人にん間げん学がく
philosophical anthropology; humanics
人にん間げん愛あい
humanity; human love
人にん間げん業わざ
humanly possible; work of man; human feat
人にん間げん界かい
human realm; world of humans
人にん間げん的てき
human; human-like; as a person

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