Japanese Counter for People - 人 (Nin)
The Japanese counter for people is 人 (nin). The first two are irregular, preserving the native readings: hitori (1 person) and futari (2 people). From 3 onwards the counter follows the regular Sino pattern.
People. The first two are irregular: hitori (1 person) and futari (2 people).
| # | Kanji | Romaji | Notes | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一人 | hitori | irregular: native form | |
| 2 | 二人 | futari | irregular: native form | |
| 3 | 三人 | san-nin | ||
| 4 | 四人 | yo-nin | yo, not yon | |
| 5 | 五人 | go-nin | ||
| 6 | 六人 | roku-nin | ||
| 7 | 七人 | shichi-nin / nana-nin | both valid | |
| 8 | 八人 | hachi-nin | ||
| 9 | 九人 | kyū-nin | not ku-nin | |
| 10 | 十人 | jū-nin |
Why 1 and 2 are irregular
Hitori (一人) and futari (二人) descend from the native (Yamato) numbers hito- and futa-. When the people counter 人 (nin) was attached, these older native forms survived for 1 person and 2 people. From 3 onwards, the counter takes the standard Sino formula: san-nin, yo-nin, go-nin. The same hito-/futa- roots appear in hitotsu and futatsu (the native 1 and 2 as the general 〜つ counter forms). See /native-numbers.
Building larger numbers of people
11 people = jū-ichi-nin. 20 people = ni-jū-nin. 100 people = hyaku-nin. The pattern is fully regular after 3.
Common usage examples
- レストランで何人ですか (resutoran de nan-nin desu ka) "How many in your party?" (at a restaurant)
- 家族は四人です (kazoku wa yo-nin desu) "My family has four people."
- 生徒は二十人います (seito wa ni-jū-nin imasu) "There are 20 students."
Cultural note: when stating party size, Japanese usually counts the speaker. "We are three" means "I plus two others equals three".
Frequently asked questions
Why are hitori and futari irregular?
They preserve the native (Yamato) bases hito- and futa- from before Chinese influence. The native readings stuck for 1 person and 2 people; from 3 onwards the counter switches to the regular Sino formula. The same hito-/futa- roots show up in hitotsu and futatsu (the native 1 and 2). See /native-numbers.
Is it yo-nin or yon-nin for 4 people?
Yo-nin. The counter for people contracts yon to yo at the 4 position. This is one of several positions where the older yo reading survives (the others are time: yo-ji, and date: yokka).
Should I say shichi-nin or nana-nin for 7 people?
Both are correct. Nana-nin is slightly more common in everyday counting. Shichi-nin appears in formal contexts and in the famous film title 七人の侍 (Shichinin no Samurai, "Seven Samurai"). Native speakers accept either without comment.
How do I ask "how many people" in Japanese?
何人 (nan-nin) plus the polite copula. 何人ですか (nan-nin desu ka) means "how many people?" Common at restaurants when seating a group. The answer might be 三人です (san-nin desu) for "three people".
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