Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 公民 | kōmin | [ko̞ːmʲĩɴ] (narrow) |
| 国民 | kokumin | [ko̞kɯ̟mʲĩɴ] (narrow) [kɯ̟ɲ̟ita̠mʲi] (narrow) |
In Japanese, the term used for "citizen" depends on whether you are referring to a member of a nation, a member of a specific city or a subject within an academic context.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 公民 is composed of 公, meaning "public" and 民, meaning "people/subjects". The term 国民 is composed of 国, meaning "country" and 民, meaning "people/subjects".
Which one should you use?
国民 is the most common way to refer to the citizens or the people of a nation in a general sense, specifically at the national level. 公民 is a more formal or academic term often used in the context of political science or civic studies. Additionally, while not the primary default, the word 市民 is frequently used to refer to a "citizen" in the sense of a resident of a specific city.
How do you pronounce it?
kōmin
Did you know?
- The term 国民 is used in the phrase 国民的 (kokumin-teki) to describe something that is 'national' in the sense of being a massive, country-wide phenomenon, like a 'national' hit song.
- The word 国民 was heavily influenced by the way 'people of the nation' was conceptualized during the Meiji era to modernize the Japanese state.
- If you see the term 公民館, it does not mean a 'citizen hall' for a nation, but rather a 'public hall' or community center for local residents.
Examples in context
- ただ国民というだけで、その国全てを好きにならなきゃいけないってことじゃないよ。Just because you're a citizen of a country doesn't mean you have to love everything about that country.This sentence is useful for expressing that being a citizen of a country does not necessitate loving everything about it using the form 国民.Tatoeba #10692091 by small_snow, translation #10692236 by DJ_Saidez
- 彼は真の市民です。He is a true citizen.
- 国民は国の力です。The citizens are the strength of the country.
- この地域の住民は友好的です。The residents of this area are friendly.
- 東京の都民は多様なバックグラウンドを持っています。The citizens of Tokyo have diverse backgrounds.
- 彼は良き公民として社会に貢献している。Kare wa yoki kōmin to shite shakai ni kōken shite iru.He contributes to society as a good citizen.
Example conversation
Two students are talking about their civics class.
- 大翔 Hiroto今日の公民の授業はどうだった？Kyō no kōmin no jugyō wa dō datta?How was today's civics class?
- 陽葵 Himari公民としての権利について学んだよ。Kōmin to shite no kenri ni tsuite mananda yo.I learned about the rights of a citizen.
- 大翔 Hirotoそれはとても重要なことだね。Sore wa totemo jūyō na koto da ne.That is very important.
- 陽葵 Himariうん、大翔も一緒に勉強しようよ。Un, Hiroto mo issho ni benkyō shiyō yo.Yeah, Hiroto, let's study together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “citizen” translations and entries 公民, 国民, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
