Learn Japanese while reading Manga with our new Manga Reader Tool!

Nihongo

Classroom

What is the Kanji for 'People' and 'Nation'? | 民

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for 'People' and 'Nation', you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for 'People' and 'Nation' is 民.

    kanji

    Meaning

    People, Nation

    Reading

    kunyomiたみ

    tami

    onyomiみん

    min

    Parts

    Family name

    Example Word

    民: people. The Japanese noun '民 (みん)' refers to 'people' or 'the populace'. It is often used in formal or historical contexts to describe the general population or citizens of a nation. This term can also appear in compound words, such as '国民 (こくみん)' meaning 'citizens' or '人民 (じんみん)' meaning 'the people'. Example sentences: The people are suffering「民が苦しんでいる」(みんがくるしんでいる). The government must listen to the people「政府は民の声を聞かなければならない」(せいふはみんのこえをきかなければならない). Note that '民' is less commonly used in everyday conversation and is more formal or literary in tone.

    Radical

    Stroke Count

    5

    JLPT

    N3

    Grade

    4

    Frequency

    243

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji

If you visually break down this kanji, you can see it is made up of 1 part:

    kanji

    Meaning

    Family name

As Part Of Other Kanji

This kanji appears as part of one other kanji:

    kanji

    Meaning

    Sleep, Sleepy

Words Using

This kanji is used in 16 words:

    word

    国民

    Meaning

    Citizen

    word

    民族

    Meaning

    Ethnicity

    word

    市民

    Meaning

    Citizen

    word

    住民

    Meaning

    Resident

    word

    Meaning

    People

    word

    民主

    Meaning

    Democracy

    word

    民間

    Meaning

    Private, Civilian

    word

    農民

    Meaning

    Farmer

    word

    民衆

    Meaning

    Masses

    word

    人民

    Meaning

    People

    word

    移民

    Meaning

    Immigration

    word

    植民

    Meaning

    Colonization

    word

    植民地

    Meaning

    Colony

    word

    民法

    Meaning

    Civil code

    word

    庶民

    Meaning

    Commoners

    word

    民営

    Meaning

    Private

Learn the Kanji

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 民 mean?

民 means 'People' and 'Nation'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Fourth Grade, while non-native learners often study it for the JLPT N3 exam.

To help you master this kanji, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.