Usage of ～人 (～じん)
The suffix ～人 is used primarily as a counter for people, indicating the number of individuals. For example, 五人 (ごにん) means "five people." This is a very common and essential counter in everyday conversation when counting people.
Besides counting, ～人 is also used as a suffix to indicate nationality or ethnicity, such as 日本人 (にほんじん) meaning "Japanese person." This usage is very common in introductions, descriptions, and discussions about people from different countries.
Common Collocations and Patterns
- ～人 (number + じん): counting people, e.g., 三人 (さんにん) "three people"
- 国名 + 人: indicating nationality, e.g., アメリカ人 (あめりかじん) "American"
- ～人くらい: approximate number of people, e.g., 五人くらい "about five people"
Notes
When counting people, ～人 is the standard counter, but note that for one and two people, the special readings 一人 (ひとり) and 二人 (ふたり) are used instead of いちにん and ににん.
Avoid confusing ～人 as a counter with its use as a nationality suffix; context usually makes the meaning clear.