一般人(いっぱんじん)

いっぱんじん
noun
ordinary person; member of the public
1. ordinary person; member of the public; layperson
A person who is not a specialist, celebrity, or member of a particular professional or exclusive group. Used to distinguish average citizens from those with special status.
一般人(いっぱんじん)には入(はい)れない。
Ordinary people cannot enter.
彼女(かのじょ)は芸能人(げいのうじん)ではなく一般人(いっぱんじん)だ。
She's not a celebrity — she's an ordinary person.
この情報(じょうほう)は専門家(せんもんか)だけでなく一般人(いっぱんじん)にもわかりやすく書(か)かれている。
This information is written in a way that is easy to understand not just for experts but for ordinary people too.

Refers to anyone who is not part of a specific professional, famous, or privileged group. The exact meaning depends on context: in celebrity news, it means 'non-celebrity'; in law, it means 'private citizen'; in academia, it means 'layperson.' Very frequently used in entertainment media when a celebrity marries a non-famous person.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 一般人(いっぱんじん)立(た)ち入(い)り禁止(きんし): no entry for the general public
  • 一般人(いっぱんじん)の感覚(かんかく): the sensibility of ordinary people
  • 一般人(いっぱんじん)女性(じょせい): ordinary woman (non-celebrity)

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 素人(しろうと): amateur, layperson — emphasizes lack of expertise rather than social status
  • 庶民(しょみん): common people — emphasizes ordinary social/economic class
  • 一般(いっぱん)市民(しみん): ordinary citizen — more formal, often used in legal or political contexts
general
Added 2026.4.7 23:10
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