How to say "crowd" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 群ぐんnoun, noun (suffix)A compact word for a group or throng; on its own it is seldom what you say for 'crowd', as it mostly appears as part of longer expressions rather than standing alone.
- 群集ぐんしゅうnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbA noun for a mass of people (or animals) gathered together; it has a formal, descriptive tone, so for an ordinary crowd of people in daily speech 人だかり is the usual choice.
- 群れるむれるichidan verb, intransitive verbThe verb 'to crowd, flock, swarm', describing animals gathering together in numbers; it is not how you describe people gathering, so for a human crowd use a noun such as 人だかり.
- 群れむれnounThe noun counterpart of 群れる: a flock, herd, or swarm of animals. Although glossed 'crowd', it is not the usual word for a crowd of people; for that, 人だかり or 群集 is the better fit.
- 人だかりひとだかりnounThe everyday word for a crowd of people standing gathered at a spot — onlookers around an event, a performance, or an accident. It refers specifically to people, not to animals.
For a crowd of people, 「人だかり」 is the everyday noun and 群集 the more formal one; 「群れ」 names an animal flock or herd, the verb 「群れる」 describes animals flocking, and 群 mostly appears inside longer words.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
- 群ぐんgroup
- 群集ぐんしゅうcrowd
- 群れるむれるto crowd
- 群れむれgroup
- 人だかりひとだかりcrowd
- 人出ひとでcrowd
- 詰め掛けるつめかけるto crowd (a house)
- 一群いちぐんgroup
- 雑踏ざっとうhustle and bustle
- 群衆ぐんしゅうgroup (of people)
- 詰め込むつめこむto cram
- クラウドcrowd
- 多衆たしゅうcrowd (of people)
- 大観衆だいかんしゅうcrowd (e.g. of spectators)
- 押し合うおしあうto jostle
- ひしめくto clamour
- ひしめきclamour
- 一群れひとむれgroup
- 一叢ひとむらcopse
- 俗衆ぞくしゅうpeople
- 群をなすぐんをなすto swarm
- 賑わいにぎわいprosperity
- 群がりむらがりcrowding together
- 塊かたまりgroup
- バンチbunch
- もむto jostle
See also
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