人間

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 人間は社会的な動物です。▶ —
   Humans are social animals.
2. 彼は信頼できる人間です。▶ —
   He is a trustworthy person.

Collocations

Mnemonic

Ningen (人間) is the Sino-Japanese "human" — 人 (person) + 間 (between) = "between people = humans as social beings." Compare: hito (人, person — broader, neutral, common in speech), jinrui (人類, humanity — biological / historical), kojin (個人, individual — society / law unit). Ningen emphasizes the mental, moral, and relational dimensions — ningen kankei (human relationships, core Japanese social vocabulary), ningensei (humanity / character), ningen dorama (human drama). The etymology "between persons = society" makes ningen a key concept in Japanese philosophy and literature — central to Watsuji Tetsurou's ethics. Idiom: ningen banji saiou ga uma (the "old man's horse" of all human matters = blessing in disguise), shared with Chinese 人间万事塞翁失马. Note: ningen sounds slightly literary / formal; conversation prefers hito. Korean "in-gan / sa-ram / in-ryu" parallels.

Quick check

1. Japanese term for "human relations" and its social weight?

   • Ningen kankei — core Japanese social vocabulary
   • Jinrui — humanity (broad)
   • Kojin — individual
   • Tomodachi — friend