大 人(おとな)

おとな

noun

adult, grown-up

1. adult, grown-up

A person who has reached maturity.

大人(おとな)になる。

To become an adult.

大人(おとな)2人(にん)と子供(こども)1人(にん)

Two adults and one child.

大人(おとな)っぽい

Mature, adult-like.

大人(おとな)の切符(きっぷ)は千(せん)円(えん)です。

An adult ticket is 1,000 yen.

早(はや)く大人(おとな)になりたいと思(おも)っていたが、今(いま)は子供(こども)の時(とき)に戻(もど)りたい。

I used to want to grow up quickly, but now I want to go back to being a child.

大人(おとな) means adult and is used both literally (a grown person) and figuratively (mature, sensible behavior). The reading おとな is irregular — the kanji would normally read だいじん or たいじん.

USAGE:
大人(おとな) often implies maturity and composure beyond just age. Saying 大人(おとな)だね can mean "that's mature of you" as a compliment.

COMMON EXPRESSIONS:

大人(おとな)になる: to grow up, to become an adult
大人(おとな)っぽい: mature, adult-like
大人(おとな)料金(りょうきん): adult price/fare
大人(おとな)しい: gentle, well-behaved (a separate word, not directly related)

CONTRAST:

大人(おとな): adult (general)
子供(こども): child
成人(せいじん): adult in the legal sense (used in 成人式(せいじんしき), coming-of-age ceremony)
若者(わかもの): young person
お年寄(としよ)り: elderly person

Related Words

Antonym: 子供(こども) (child)

Related: 成人(せいじん) (legal adult)

Related: 若者(わかもの) (young person)

basic

Added 2026.1.11 18:22 · Revised 2026.5.23 2:10

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