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〜人

counter for people

一人 (ひとり), 二人 (ふたり), 三人 (さんにん) …

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People are counted with 人. The first two are irregular and the rest are regular:

ひとり, ふたり, さんにん, よにん, ごにん, ろくにん, しちにん or ななにん, はちにん, きゅうにん, じゅうにん. "How many people?" is 何人 (なんにん).

Watch 四人: it's よにん, not よんにん.

一人で means "on your own": 一人で行きました, "I went alone". 二人で is "the two of us".

In restaurants you'll be asked 何名様ですか; 名 is the polite counter for people, and you can answer with 二人です. Holding up fingers works too, and staff do it back.

Examples

  • 家族かぞくは四人よにんです。

    There are four of us in my family.

  • 兄あにが二人ふたりいます。

    I have two older brothers.

  • 一人ひとりで映画えいがを見みに行いきました。

    I went to see a film on my own.

  • 教室きょうしつに学生がくせいが五人ごにんいます。

    There are five students in the classroom.

  • クラスに学生がくせいは何人なんにんいますか。

    How many students are in the class?

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