人材（じんざい、jinzai）
- human resources

The Japanese word 人材 (人材, じんざい) generally means "human resources," "personnel," or "talented people." It refers to individuals with valuable skills, abilities, and experience, particularly those who are seen as assets to an organization or society. It emphasizes the quality and capability of people, rather than just their number. The word often carries the connotation of individuals who can contribute to the success, growth, or innovation of a group or company. The focus is on the value and potential of the individuals within an organization or group.

⚫︎人材は企業の成長に不可欠です。 Translation: Human resources are essential for a company's growth. ⚫︎ 彼は有能な人材として高く評価されている。 Translation: He is highly regarded as a talented individual. ⚫︎ このプロジェクトは、優秀な人材の獲得が重要だ。 Translation: For this project, acquiring excellent personnel is important.

You use 人材 (人材) when discussing: ⚫︎People within an organization, company, or team. ⚫︎The value and skills of employees or potential employees. ⚫︎Human resources management, recruitment, and development. ⚫︎Individuals who are considered valuable assets. ⚫︎Strategic planning related to staffing and workforce. It's commonly used in business contexts, in discussions about employment, and in academic settings when talking about human capital.

人材 (人材) is typically written in kanji. The reading is じんざい in hiragana. There are no other common ways to write this word. The okurigana (hiragana suffixes) are not applicable in this case.

⚫︎ 人員 (jin'in): personnel, staff ⚫︎ 社員 (shain): company employee ⚫︎ 従業員 (juugyouin): employee ⚫︎ 人物 (jinbutsu): person, figure (sometimes used to refer to talented people) ⚫︎ 有能な人 (yuunou na hito): capable person

⚫︎ 無能な人 (munou na hito): incompetent person ⚫︎ 凡人 (bonjin): ordinary person

当社は、優秀な人材を育成するための研修制度を充実させています。 ・Translation: Our company is enhancing its training programs to cultivate excellent human resources. ・Explanation: This sentence describes a company's efforts to develop and improve its employees' skills.

その会社は、人材不足のため、新たなプロジェクトの開始を見送った。 ・Translation: That company postponed the start of a new project due to a lack of human resources. ・Explanation: This sentence explains how a company’s lack of qualified people negatively impacted its operations.

The word 人材 (人材) is a compound word. It is formed from: ⚫︎人 (jin): meaning "person" or "human." ⚫︎材 (zai): meaning "material," "talent," or "resource." Therefore, 人材 (人材) literally means "human material" or "human resource," which emphasizes the valuable quality that people bring to an organization or a cause.