How to Say "Japanese Person" in Japanese

日本人

nihonjin[ɲ̟ihõ̞ɲ̟d͡ʑĩɴ]

The English phrase "japanese person" is translated into Japanese as 日本人 (nihonjin).

日本人 is used to refer to a person who is a citizen or national of Japan.

How do you pronounce it?

nihonjin

While most people say nihonjin, using the reading nipponjin is a rare way to sound intensely patriotic or highly formal.
In Japanese, it is common to omit the word 日本人 entirely when speaking to or about other Japanese people. Using the word too frequently in a domestic setting can sound unnatural or overly formal, as the identity is already implied by the context.
The suffix 人 can be read as 'jin' or 'nin' depending on the word. In 日本人, it is always 'jin', but if you were to speak of a 'person of the people' or certain other group identities, the reading might shift.

日本人ならそんなことはけっしてしないでしょう。
A Japanese person would never do such a thing.
This example shows how to use 日本人 when discussing a hypothetical action.
Tatoeba #4940 by bunbuku, translation #446085 by blay_paul
日本人はお米がない日々が続くと7割の確率で顔が死にます。
If a Japanese person continues to live day by day without rice, there is a 70% chance their face will look like a corpse's.
This sentence uses 日本人 in a humorous context regarding the importance of rice.
Tatoeba #9595768 by Sim5634, translation #9980302 by tsp_2
Tatoebaのサイトって、日本人が立ち上げたんですか？
Was the Tatoeba site started by a Japanese person?
This question asks if a Japanese person was the one who started the Tatoeba site, using 日本人.
Tatoeba #11327784 by small_snow, translation #2798916 by AlanF_US
はじめまして、私は日本人です。
Nice to meet you, I am Japanese.
これは私の友達です。彼は日本人です。
This is my friend. He is Japanese.
日本の歴史は大和民族の歴史でもあります。
Japanese history is the history of the Yamato people.
日本人の友達と一緒に東京に旅行に行きました。
I went on a trip to Tokyo with my Japanese friend.
彼は大阪人です。おおらかな性格です。
He is from Osaka. He has a laid-back personality.

Two people are discussing their friends at a cafe.

陽葵 Himari

彼は日本人ですか？
Kare wa nihonjin desu ka?
Is he a Japanese person?
大翔 Hiroto

はい、彼は日本人です。
Hai, kare wa nihonjin desu.
Yes, he is a Japanese person.
陽葵 Himari

あ、そうなんだ！
A, sou nan da!
Oh, I see!
大翔 Hiroto

とても親切な日本人ですよ。
Totemo shinsetsu na nihonjin desu yo.
He is a very kind Japanese person.

Sources

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