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賢人 (けんじん, kenjin) Japanese meaning: wise person | Kotomora

賢けん人じん

け

ん

じ

ん

Common word›Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

wise person; sage; virtuous person

Refers to a person of great wisdom and moral virtue, often in a philosophical or historical context.

彼かれは現げん代だいの賢けん人

じん

と

呼よ

ば

れ

て

いる

。

He is called a sage of the modern age.

2

Rare, archaic term for unrefined sake, often associated with the cross-reference 濁り酒 (にごりざけ).

See also: 濁り酒

古ふるい文ぶん献けんでは、賢けん人じんが濁にごり酒ざけを指さすことがある。
In old texts, 賢人 can refer to unrefined sake.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉を賢けん人じんと呼よぶto call someone a sage
彼かれは多おおくの人ひとから賢けん人じんと呼よばれている。
He is called a sage by many people.
賢けん人じんの教おしえに従したがうto follow the teachings of a sage
私わたしたちは古いにしえの賢けん人じんの教おしえに従したがって生いきるべきだ。
We should live according to the teachings of the ancient sages.

Kanji

賢intelligent, wise, wisdom
人person

Related words· 7

賢けん者じゃ sense 1
賢者 is the more common everyday word for a wise person, while 賢人 is more literary and stresses moral virtue as much as intelligence.
濁にごり酒ざけ sense 2
濁り酒 is the standard modern term for unrefined sake, while 賢人 is an archaic, rarely-used synonym for the same thing.
哲てつ人じん sense 1
哲人 emphasizes deep philosophical insight, whereas 賢人 emphasizes overall wisdom and virtue.
聖せい人じん sense 1
聖人 refers to a saintly or holy figure admired for moral perfection, while 賢人 is admired chiefly for wisdom.

Show 3 more

哲てつ
賢人 is the common word for a wise person, while 哲 is a much more literary and terse term for a sage.
全ぜん人じん
賢人 focuses on wisdom and good judgment, whereas 全人 emphasizes overall, well-rounded personal development.
偉い人じんN1
賢人 highlights wisdom and sound judgment, while 偉人 covers greatness from any field, not just wisdom.

Opposites

愚ぐ者しゃ sense 1
愚者 means a foolish person, the direct opposite of the wise 賢人.
凡ぼん人じんN1sense 1
凡人 means an ordinary, unremarkable person, contrasting with the exceptional wisdom of a 賢人.

Counted with

人にん
counter for people

Etymology

From 賢 (wise, virtuous) + 人 (person). The archaic 'unrefined sake' sense is likely a separate, possibly playful or metaphorical usage.