人気（にんき、ninki）
- popularity

The Japanese word 人気 (人気, にんき) primarily means "popularity," "fame," or "favor." It refers to the state of being liked or admired by many people. It can describe a person, a product, a place, or anything that draws widespread positive attention. It encompasses the idea of something being well-received, fashionable, or in demand.

⚫︎あの俳優は人気があります。 Translation: That actor is popular. ⚫︎このレストランは人気で、いつも混んでいます。 Translation: This restaurant is popular and always crowded. ⚫︎このゲームは最近とても人気です。 Translation: This game is very popular recently.

人気 is commonly used in everyday conversations and various contexts to describe popularity. ⚫︎You can use it to talk about celebrities, such as actors, singers, or athletes. ⚫︎You can use it to talk about products or services. ⚫︎You can use it to describe places, like tourist attractions. ⚫︎It is generally used in a positive sense, indicating something is well-liked or in high demand.

人気 is typically written with the kanji 人気. The reading is にんき (nin-ki). It is not commonly written in katakana. There are no variations in the okurigana. The word itself is invariable; there are no conjugations. The usage of 人気is in itself a noun.

⚫︎ 有名 (ゆうめい, yūmei) - Famous ⚫︎ 評判 (ひょうばん, hyōban) - Reputation; popularity (often used for reviews and critiques) ⚫︎ 流行 (りゅうこう, ryūkō) - Trend; vogue ⚫︎ 支持 (しじ, shiji) - Support; backing

⚫︎ 不人気 (ふにんき, funinki) - Unpopularity; unpopular ⚫︎ 不評 (ふひょう, fuhyō) - Bad reputation; criticism ⚫︎ 不振 (ふしん, fushin) - Sluggishness; lack of popularity (can be used for businesses or products)

この漫画は子供たちの間で人気があります。 ・Translation: This manga is popular among children. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 人気 to describe the manga's popularity among a specific group (children).

彼女は人気のあるアイドルです。 ・Translation: She is a popular idol. ・Explanation: This sentence describes a person (an idol) as popular, illustrating how 人気 can be used to describe people with a lot of followers or admiration.

The word 人気 is made up of two kanji: 人 (nin/hito), meaning "person" or "people," and 気 (ki), meaning "spirit," "mind," or "feeling." The combination conveys the "feeling" or "spirit" of the people, which in this case reflects their "popularity" or "favor." It can be interpreted as the collective "feeling" or "opinion" of the people towards something or someone.