〜人(にん)

にん

counter

counter for people

1. counter for people

A counter used to count people. Note: 1 person and 2 people use different readings (ひとり, ふたり), but 3 and above use 〜人 (〜にん).

三人(さんにん)で行(い)きます。

Three people will go.

何人(なんにん)いますか。

How many people are there?

五人(ごにん)家族(かぞく)です。

We're a family of five.

四人(よにん)で部屋(へや)を使(つか)っています。

Four people are using the room.

クラスに三十人(さんじゅうにん)の学生(がくせい)がいますが、今日(きょう)は五人(ごにん)休(やす)んでいます。

There are thirty students in the class, but five are absent today.

〜人(にん) is the counter for counting people.

Counting patterns

一人(ひとり): 1 person (irregular)
二人(ふたり): 2 people (irregular)
三人(さんにん): 3 people
四人(よにん): 4 people
五人(ごにん): 5 people
六人(ろくにん): 6 people
七人(しちにん)/七人(ななにん): 7 people
八人(はちにん): 8 people
九人(くにん)/九人(きゅうにん): 9 people
十人(じゅうにん): 10 people

Watch out

1 and 2 have irregular readings (一人(ひとり), 二人(ふたり)), not いちにん or ににん.

Common patterns

何人(なんにん): how many people?
〜人(にん)で: with ~ people
〜人(にん)家族(かぞく): a family of ~

Related Words

Compare: 〜名(めい) (counter for people (formal))

Related: 一人(ひとり) (one person)

Related: 二人(ふたり) (two people)

Related Articles

Japanese Counters and Classifiers

basic

Added 2026.1.7 21:24 · Revised 2026.10.3 3:51

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