1.
Martian; inhabitant of Mars
A fictional or hypothetical being from the planet Mars. Used in science fiction and popular culture, and sometimes figuratively to describe someone who seems completely out of touch or alien.
その映画には火星人が登場する。
Martians appear in that movie.
子どもの頃、火星人は本当にいると信じてい��。
When I was a child, I believed Martians really existed.
あの人の考え方はまるで火星人みたいで、誰も理解できない。
That person's way of thinking is like a Martian's — nobody can understand it.
Composed of 火星 (Mars, the planet) and 人 (person). Follows the productive pattern of planet name + 人 to form hypothetical alien inhabitants: 金星人 (Venusian), 木星人 (Jovian), etc.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 火星人の襲来: Martian invasion
- 火星人みたい: like a Martian (figurative: alien, incomprehensible)
- 火星人が攻めてくる: Martians are attacking
CULTURAL CONTEXT:
The concept of 火星人 became widespread through H.G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds" (1898), which was translated into Japanese. The classic image of a Martian with a large head and tentacles (タコ型火星人, "octopus-type Martian") remains a staple of Japanese pop culture and manga.
RELATED TERMS:
- 宇宙人: alien; extraterrestrial — the general term for any being from space
- 地球外生命体: extraterrestrial life — formal/scientific