知 人(ちじん)

ちじん

noun

acquaintance

formalspokenwritten

1. acquaintance, someone one knows

A person one knows but is not necessarily close friends with. Less intimate than a friend but more than a stranger.

街(まち)で知人(ちじん)に会(あ)った。

I ran into an acquaintance in town.

知人(ちじん)の紹介(しょうかい)で仕事(しごと)を見(み)つけた。

I found a job through an acquaintance's introduction.

彼(かれ)は友人(ゆうじん)というより知人(ちじん)だ。

He's more of an acquaintance than a friend.

Relationship spectrum

他人(たにん) (stranger)
知人(ちじん) (acquaintance)
知(し)り合(あ)い (acquaintance - less formal)
友人(ゆうじん)/友達(ともだち) (friend)
親友(しんゆう) (close friend)

Similar words

知人(ちじん) - slightly formal; often used in written language
知(し)り合(あ)い - casual; more common in spoken language

Common collocations

知人(ちじん)に紹介(しょうかい)してもらう (to be introduced by an acquaintance)
知人(ちじん)を通(つう)じて (through an acquaintance)

Related Words

Synonym: 知(し)り合(あ)い (acquaintance (casual))

general

Added 2026.1.13 20:35 · Revised 2026.9.2 11:55

04000/04056_chijin