The kanji character 民 generally represents "people", "the people", or "the citizenry". It refers to the common people, the populace, or the general public within a society or nation. It often implies a group of individuals subject to a government or authority. It can also signify a specific group of people depending on context.

・On-yomi (音読み): ミン (min) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): たみ (tami)

⚫︎ 国民 (kokumin) Translation: Citizenry; National people ⚫︎ 民主主義 (minshushugi) Translation: Democracy ⚫︎ 住民 (jūmin) Translation: Residents; Inhabitants

The kanji 民 is an ideogrammic compound. It combines two elements: a line through an eye (目), and a hook-shaped element. The eye (目) originally represented the ability to see or observe. The hook-shaped element (which is a variant of the element 氏), represents the concept of tribe or clan, the lineage. The earliest forms depicted two small lines inside the eye symbol. Therefore, the combination conveys the idea of many people gathered under a common group or clan, that are all watching. Over time, the form of the kanji character evolved into the modern 民, where the meaning gradually shifted to the people, or the populace in general, who are being observed or governed.