芸人（げいにん、geinin）
- comedian

The word 芸人 refers to a Japanese performing artist or entertainer, most commonly associated with comedians who appear on TV variety shows, talk shows, and theatrical stages. ⚫︎While 芸人 historically included traditional performers such as 落語家 storyteller, 漫才師 manzai duo, and musicians, today the term is most frequently used to describe modern comedy 芸人 who perform 漫才 manzai or コント conte sketch comedy. ⚫︎These 芸人 often belong to talent agencies like 吉本興業 and work hard to entertain audiences with their unique skills, jokes, and storytelling.

⚫︎彼は人気の若い《芸人です。》 Translation: He is a popular young comedian. ⚫︎その《芸人のギャグは子供たちに大人気です。》 Translation: That comedian's gag is very popular among children. ⚫︎テレビで面白い《芸人を見ました。》 Translation: I watched a funny comedian on TV.

You can use 芸人 when talking about Japanese entertainers and comedians in casual or polite conversations. ⚫︎It is commonly used when discussing television programs, variety shows, and stand-up comedy. ⚫︎You can use it to describe both famous television stars and up-and-coming theater performers.

芸人 is typically written using the kanji characters 芸 meaning art, talent, or performance, and 人 meaning person. ⚫︎The hiragana reading is げいにん. ⚫︎It is rarely written in katakana except for stylistic purposes or in manga. ⚫︎There are no okurigana variations for this noun.

⚫︎タレント meaning TV personality or celebrity. ⚫︎コメディアン meaning comedian. ⚫︎お笑いタレント meaning comedy talent.

There is no direct opposite word for 芸人 since it refers to a specific profession, but 素人 meaning amateur or ordinary person is often used in contrast to professional entertainers.

彼は将来、有名な《芸人になりたいと言っています。》 ・Translation: He says he wants to become a famous comedian in the future. ・Explanation: This sentence expresses someone's career aspiration to work as a professional 芸人.

その《芸人の新しいネタはとても面白かったです。》 ・Translation: That comedian's new routine was very funny. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 芸人 to describe an entertainer performing a specific comedy routine, called ネタ.

The term 芸人 is a compound word formed from 芸 meaning performing art or skill, and 人 meaning person. ⚫︎Historically, it referred broadly to people who made a living through traditional Japanese arts and performances. ⚫︎Over time, the meaning shifted in modern Japanese to predominantly refer to comedy performers and variety show entertainers.