Chinese

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ordinary; every; all
ordinary; every; all; whatever; worldly
 
man; person; people
simp. and trad.
(凡人)

Pronunciation

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Noun

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凡人

  1. ordinary person; average person; common people
  2. mortal

Synonyms

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  • (ordinary person):
  • (mortal):

Japanese

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Etymology 1

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Kanji in this term
ぼん
Grade: S
にん
Grade: 1
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese compound 凡人 (bjom nyin). Compare modern Hakka reading fàm-ngìn.

The goon, so likely the initial borrowing.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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(ぼん)(にん) (bonnin

  1. an ordinary person
  2. a commoner, someone who is not nobility
Usage notes
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This reading appears to be somewhat less common than bonjin below.

The ordinary sense of this term is somewhat negative, with overtones of mediocre, unremarkable, lackluster.

Synonyms
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Etymology 2

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Kanji in this term
ぼん
Grade: S
じん
Grade: 1
on'yomi

Shift in pronunciation from bonnin above, using the kan'on reading of jin for .

Pronunciation

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Noun

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(ぼん)(じん) (bonjin

  1. an ordinary person
  2. a commoner, someone who is not nobility
Usage notes
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This appears to be the more common reading.

The ordinary sense of this term is somewhat negative, with overtones of mediocre, unremarkable, lackluster.

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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Etymology 3

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Kanji in this term
はん
Grade: S
じん
Grade: 1
on'yomi

Shift in pronunciation from bonnin or bonjin above, using the kan'on reading for both characters.

This reading appears in use by the 有職家 (yūsokuka, people well acquainted with the rites and ceremonies of the imperial court and nobility).[2]

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [hã̠ɲ̟d͡ʑĩɴ]

Noun

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(はん)(じん) (hanjin

  1. (rare, possibly obsolete) an ordinary person, a commoner
Usage notes
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The hanjin reading is the least common.

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. ^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN