人間（にんげん、ningeん）
- human

The word 人間 (にんげん) primarily means "human being," "person," or "humanity." It refers to a member of the species *Homo sapiens*. It can also encompass the idea of the human world, human nature, or the conditions of human existence. It's a versatile word that can be used in various contexts, from describing an individual to discussing philosophical concepts.

⚫︎彼は優しい人間だ。 Translation: He is a kind person. ⚫︎人間は皆、いつか死ぬ。 Translation: All humans will die someday. ⚫︎人間関係は複雑だ。 Translation: Human relationships are complicated.

⚫︎ Use 人間 when you want to refer to a person or people in general. ⚫︎ It is appropriate in formal and informal settings. ⚫︎ It is also used when discussing human qualities, behaviors, or the human experience. ⚫︎ It's a fundamental word, so you'll hear it frequently.

⚫︎ The word 人間 is typically written with the kanji: 人間. ⚫︎ The reading is にんげん (hiragana). ⚫︎ While the kanji is most common, it can sometimes be written entirely in hiragana (にんげん). This is less frequent. ⚫︎ There are no variations in the okurigana.

⚫︎ 人 (ひと): Person, people (more general, and often used in conversation) ⚫︎ 人類 (じんるい): Mankind, humankind ⚫︎ 人々 (ひとびと): People, folks (plural and more formal) ⚫︎ 者 (もの): Person (can be used in more formal writing)

⚫︎ 動物 (どうぶつ): Animal ⚫︎ 非人間 (ひにんげん): Non-human ⚫︎ 怪物 (かいぶつ): Monster

私は人間の歴史に興味があります。 ・Translation: I am interested in human history. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 人間 to refer to the history of humanity.

彼は人間らしい感情を失った。 ・Translation: He has lost his human emotions. ・Explanation: This sentence describes someone who seems to have lost qualities associated with being a human being.

The word 人間 is a compound word formed from two kanji: 人 (jin/hito), meaning "person" or "human," and 間 (kan/aida), meaning "interval," "between," or "space." Therefore, 人間 literally translates to "between people" or "the space between people", conceptually representing the human world or the state of being human.