Meaning
Person or human being; often used to refer to people in general, individuals, or roles in society.
- 人気 — popularity
- 老人 — elderly person
- 人物 — figure or character
- 人生 — human life
- 人材 — human resource / talent
- 人格 — personality / character
一人・二人 — these look like they could follow regular on-yomi patterns (いちにん, ににん), but they don’t. Instead, they use special kun-yomi readings that are unique to traditional Japanese counting. These forms are deeply rooted in native expression, showing how kanji can carry **distinct rhythms and cultural nuance** in everyday language.
あの人は 親切です。
That person is kind.
日本の人は、よく働きます。
People in Japan work hard.
The character 人 can be read as jin, nin, or hito — but there are also special native words like hitori (one person) and futari (two people). These readings don’t follow regular patterns and aren’t usually listed in dictionaries, but they’re part of daily Japanese. When you hear “Two is better than one” — this kanji is right there.