番人|ばんにんbannin[3]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. nounguard; watchman
   中央ちゅうおう銀行ぎんこうに物価ぶっかの番人ばんにんだけさせておくのはもったいない。↗

   It's a waste to just have the central banks watching over commodity prices.

• Synonym見張りみはりNeutralKeeping watch or surveillance, and also the person doing it; the most common word of this set. 「番人」 is a person who guards a place or thing, and can be figurative.
• Synonym衛兵えいへいNeutralA soldier guarding a camp or palace, as in royal palace guards; 「番人」 is not restricted to soldiers.
• Synonym看守かんしゅNeutralSpecifically a prison guard or warder; 「番人」 is a general word for someone who watches over something.
• Synonym守衛しゅえいNeutralThe guard at the entrance of an office or government building, as in 「守衛室」; 「番人」 sounds old-fashioned or figurative.
• Synonym歩哨ほしょうWrittenA military term for a soldier standing sentry duty; 「番人」 is not limited to the military.
• Synonym番兵ばんぺいWrittenA soldier on watch, and in programming a sentinel value; 「番人」 is not restricted to soldiers.
• Related張り番はりばんWrittenStanding watch and staying alert for danger; used rarely.
• Related立ち番たちばんNeutralStanding watch while on duty, as with police standing guard; 「番人」 stresses the role of a guardian.
• Related番卒ばんそつWrittenA written word for someone guarding a building or place at night or in shifts; very rare.
• Related衛士えじFormalA historical term for soldiers who guarded palace gates under the ritsuryō system.

For keeping watch in general, use 「見張り」; for a door or entrance guard, 「守衛」; for a prison guard, 「看守」. 「番人」 is for someone who guards a place or thing, and also works figuratively for a guardian, as in 「憲法の番人」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 番ばんをする人ひと。