全員

ぜんいん

all members

JLPT N3

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

"全員" (ぜんいん) means "all members" or "everyone" in a group. It is commonly used to refer to every person involved in a particular context, such as a team, class, or meeting.

Common Contexts

You will often hear "全員" in formal or semi-formal situations like meetings, group activities, or announcements where the presence or agreement of every member is important.

Collocations and Patterns

  • 全員が (ぜんいんが): used as the subject meaning "everyone"
  • 全員で (ぜんいんで): means "all together" or "with everyone"
  • 全員出席 (ぜんいんしゅっせき): "all members present"

Usage Notes

When using "全員," the speaker implies inclusiveness of the entire group without exception. It is often used to emphasize that no one is left out. Be careful not to confuse "全員" with "みんな" which is more casual and less formal.

Common Mistake

Learners sometimes omit particles after "全員," but it usually requires a particle like が or で depending on the sentence structure. For example, "全員来ました" is less natural than "全員が来ました."

Example Sentences

かいぎにはぜんいんがしゅっせきしました。

All members attended the meeting.

ぜんいんでしゃしんをとりましょう。

Let's take a photo with everyone.

ぜんいんがどういしたので、けいかくをすすめます。

Since everyone agreed, we will proceed with the plan.