知らない人
shiranai hito
In Japanese, 'stranger' is translated as 知らない人 (shiranai hito). Wiktionary also lists 見ず知らず (mizushirazu).
Meaning: person whom one does not know (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 知らない人 | shiranai hito |
| 見ず知らず | mizushirazu |
If you wish to emphasize that a person is completely unknown, unrelated to you or that you have absolutely no connection to them, you may use 見ず知らず.
What does it mean word for word?
知らない人 is a literal construction consisting of the negative verb shiranai (does not know) and hito (person).
Which one should you use?
While 知らない人 is a neutral way to say 'stranger', 見ず知らず carries a stronger nuance of being a complete stranger with whom one has absolutely no acquaintance or connection.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase 知らない人 does not change its form to indicate plurality. It can mean either 'a stranger' or 'strangers' depending on the context.
How do you pronounce it?
shiranai hito
Did you know?
- Depending on the region, some speakers might use the term 他人 to mean 'stranger'. While it can mean 'other people', it specifically refers to people who are not family members.
- When a stranger is an unwanted intruder or a suspicious person, Japanese speakers might use the word 不審者 instead of 知らない人. This term specifically denotes a 'suspicious person'.
- Unlike English, where 'stranger' is a common noun, Japanese speakers often avoid using a single noun for a stranger and instead use longer phrases to describe the 'state' of not knowing them.
Examples in context
- 知らない人にメアド教えちゃった。I carelessly gave my email address to a stranger.This sentence shows how to use 知らない人 when talking about giving information to a stranger.Tatoeba #3169529 by tommy_san, translation #3182878 by WestofEden
- 知らない人が突然私の腕をつかんだ。A stranger seized me by the arm.This sentence illustrates using 知らない人 when describing a stranger seizing someone's arm.Tatoeba #127084 by small_snow, translation #277006 by CK
- バスで知らない人に話しかけられたの。A stranger spoke to me on the bus.This sentence demonstrates how to use 知らない人 to describe a stranger speaking to someone on a bus.Tatoeba #9741087 by small_snow, translation #435798 by CK
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A young man and woman are talking about a person they saw on the street.
- 蓮 Ren知らない人があそこに立っているよ。Shiranai hito ga asoko ni tatte iru yo.A stranger is standing over there.
- 陽葵 Himariえっ、知らない人なら近づかないで。E, shiranai hito nara chikazukanaide.What, if it's a stranger, don't go near him.
- 蓮 Ren大丈夫、知らない人だけど、道を聞かれただけだよ。Daijoubu, shiranai hito dakedo, michi o kikareta dake da yo.It's okay, he's a stranger, but he just asked for directions.
- 陽葵 Himariそう？ならよかった。Sou? Nara yokatta.Is that so? Then that's a relief.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stranger” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
