How to say "person" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- nounThe word to reach for when you simply mean a person or someone — an individual or people in general — as in talking about a person you met or someone you saw.
- 人間にんげんnounMeans 'human being': use it when the point is humanity itself, as in contrasting people with animals or machines, or when judging what kind of human being someone is.
- 人物じんぶつnounA person viewed as a figure or character — someone considered in terms of their personality, standing, or role; typical contexts are historical figures and the characters in a novel or play.
- 身体しんたいnounReally the word for the body, the physical side of a person; its '(the) person' sense is a technical one, so it is seldom the word you want when you simply mean 'person'.
- 者ものnounA word for a person that is seldom used by itself; it really works as part of larger expressions referring to a person, so it is rarely how you simply say 'a person'.
Use 「ひと」 for a person or someone in general, 人間 when the point is humanity itself, 人物 for a figure or character, and 者 only as part of larger expressions, while 身体 really means 'body'.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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