この人
kono hito
To say this guy in Japanese, the neutral choice is この人 (kono hito), literally this person. It works for a man who is nearby or who has just been mentioned.
この人 is the standard way to point out or talk about a specific person. Japanese does not mark the person as male here, so the context tells the listener you mean a man.
What does it mean word for word?
この人 is made of kono (this) and hito (person).
Which one should you use?
こいつ is an informal and slightly direct way of saying this guy. このやつ is much more casual and can sound derogatory. この人 is the polite, neutral option.
How does it change in a sentence?
When この人 is the subject or topic of a sentence, you can add the particle wa after it, giving kono hito wa.
How do you pronounce it?
Say kono hito as two words with even syllables: ko, no, hi, to.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid こいつ when talking about someone older or someone you should be polite to, since it can sound rude.
Did you know?
- The informal term こいつ (koitsu) is derived from こい (koi), a pointer for things close to the speaker, and やつ (yatsu), which originally referred to a 'thing' or 'object' rather than a person.
- While この人 is neutral, the informal こいつ is often used by speakers to refer to their own close friends or siblings with a sense of affection and familiarity, despite its technically derogatory nature.
- Japanese speakers often avoid using この人 or こいつ entirely if they know the person's name or title, as referring to someone as 'this person' can feel overly blunt or impersonal.
Examples in context
- そういえば、この人ってプロ野球選手だったな。Now that you mention it, wasn't this guy a pro baseball player?Here この人 refers to a man the speakers were just talking about.Tatoeba #10996845 by small_snow, translation #12089772 by pip
- この人、面白いですね。This person is interesting, don't you think?
- こいつ、すごいやつだよ。This guy is amazing!
Example conversation
Yui and Daisho are looking at a photograph of a man.
- 結衣 Yuiこの人は誰ですか？Kono hito wa dare desu ka?Who is this guy?
- 大翔 Hiroto僕の高校時代の先生だよ。Boku no koukou jidai no sensei dayo.He's my teacher from high school.
- 結衣 Yuiこの人はとても厳しそうね。Kono hito wa totemo kibishisou ne.This guy looks very strict.
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、本当に怖かったよ。Un, hontou ni kowakatta yo.Yeah, he was really scary.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
