1.
how many people
interrogative asking about the number of people
何人家族ですか？
How many people are in your family?
今日のパーティーには何人来る予定ですか？
How many people are expected to come to today's party?
このクラスには何人の留学生がいますか？
How many international students are in this class?
何人 is the interrogative form of the 人 counter, used to ask about the number of people.
PRONUNCIATION NOTE:
Read as なんにん (how many people), not なにじん. 何人 is a completely different word meaning "what nationality" (e.g., 何人ですか = What nationality are you?).
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 何人ですか: How many people? (e.g., at restaurants)
- 何人で: with how many people
- 何人いる: how many people are there
- 何人分: for how many people (portions)
- 何人来る: how many people are coming
RELATED COUNTERS:
- 一人: one person (irregular reading)
- 二人: two people (irregular reading)
- 三人〜: three people and above (regular pattern)