庶民（しょみん、shomin）
- common people

The Japanese word 庶民, しょみん in hiragana, translates to "common people," "the public," or "ordinary people." ⚫︎ It refers to the general population who are not members of the aristocracy, the ruling class, or the very wealthy. ⚫︎ The term emphasizes the everyday lives, experiences, and perspectives of the majority of people in a society. ⚫︎ It suggests a sense of shared experiences and values among those who are considered 庶民.

⚫︎ 庶民の生活は質素だ。 Translation: The lives of the common people are simple. ⚫︎ あのレストランは庶民的な価格で人気だ。 Translation: That restaurant is popular for its affordable prices. ⚫︎ 政治家はもっと庶民の意見を聞くべきだ。 Translation: Politicians should listen more to the opinions of the common people.

⚫︎ 庶民 is used in formal and informal contexts. ⚫︎ It is often used in discussions about society, economics, politics, and culture. ⚫︎ It can be used to describe lifestyles, preferences, values, or even the tastes of the average person. ⚫︎ Be mindful of the context to ensure the term is appropriate; it isn't used to address someone directly unless you want to highlight a social contrast.

⚫︎ The word 庶民 is primarily written using the kanji 庶民, but also may be written as しょみん in hiragana. ⚫︎ The okurigana is standard and does not have any variations.

⚫︎ 一般の人々 (ippan no hitobito) - The general public/ people in general ⚫︎ 大衆 (taishuu) - The masses / the general public ⚫︎ 一般市民 (ippan shimin) - Ordinary citizens

⚫︎ 貴族 (kizoku) - Aristocracy/ nobility ⚫︎ 富豪 (fugou) - Millionaire/ very wealthy person ⚫︎ 上流階級 (jyouryuu kaikyuu) - Upper class

この映画は、現代の庶民の生活を描いています。 ・Translation: This movie depicts the lives of ordinary people in modern times. ・Explanation: The sentence highlights the subject of the film as focusing on the daily lives and experiences of common people.

庶民向けのサービスを開発しましょう。 ・Translation: Let's develop a service for the general public. ・Explanation: The sentence suggests a business strategy focusing on products or services catering to the ordinary person.

The word 庶民 is derived from classical Chinese. ⚫︎ The kanji 庶 originally meant "many" or "various." ⚫︎ The kanji 民 means "people" or "the populace." ⚫︎ The combination thus signifies "the many people," which evolved to mean the common people.