貴き人じん

also: きにん · あてびと · うまひと

き

じ

ん

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

noun

aristocrat; noble; dignitary; person of high rank

Refers to a person of noble birth or high social standing. Can be used in historical contexts or formal descriptions.

その貴き人じんは多おおくの領りょう地ちを持もっていた。
That nobleman owned many territories.
彼かれはまるで貴き人じんのような振ふる舞まいをする。
He behaves as if he were an aristocrat.

See all 31 example sentences ›

Kanji

貴precious, value, prize
人person

Related words

貴き族ぞく
貴族 refers to the nobility as a class or a member of the nobility, while 貴人 emphasizes individual high rank or dignity, often with a more personal or honorific nuance.
高こう貴き
高貴 is a na-adjective meaning 'noble' or 'high-born', describing a quality, whereas 貴人 is a noun referring to a person of such status.

Opposites

徒人ただびと
貴人 refers to a person of noble or high rank, the direct opposite of a 徒人, who holds no title or status.

Written forms

貴人Usage99%
- きじん
  Standard kanji spelling. The reading きじん is the most common modern pronunciation.
- きにん
  Alternate reading, less common than きじん. May be encountered in older texts.
- あてびと
  out-dated reading
- うまひと
  out-dated reading
キジンUsage1%
あてびと
out-dated reading
Obsolete kana usage. Historical reading for 貴人, not used in modern Japanese.
うまひと
out-dated reading
Obsolete kana usage. Historical reading for 貴人, not used in modern Japanese.
きにん

Etymology

Compound of 貴 (ki, 'noble') + 人 (jin/hito, 'person'). The reading きじん is the standard on'yomi combination. The alternate reading きにん uses the go-on for 人, while あてびと and うまひと are native Japanese readings (kun'yomi) that have become obsolete.