Word
本人
Meaning in Englishthe person himself
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
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Word context
What it means
What does 本人 mean? It refers to the person themselves—the actual individual involved in a matter, not a third party, and is used to identify the true subject in formal or everyday contexts.
Main meanings
- the actual individual involved in a matter, as opposed to an intermediary or representative
- the person who personally performs an action or is affected by it
- in official contexts, the person whose identity or status is being verified or documented
How to use it
Used across registers to specify the true person in a matter; in casual speech it can refer to oneself in situations like giving consent, while in formal writing it appears in identity checks and official documents to indicate the individual directly involved.
Variants and close terms
- 当人 (とうにん, tōnin) – the person in question
- 第三者 (だいさんしゃ, daisansha) – third party
Composition
- 本: main, origin, true; signals the essential or real aspect
- 人: person, human; denotes a person
Etymology
本 + 人 form a native kanji compound; the reading hon-nin comes from on'yomi of the two characters, yielding the standard pronunciation honnin in modern Japanese.
Word class
noun (名詞)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N1
本気
honki
seriousness, truth, sanctity
N1
本国
hongoku
one's own country
N1
本質
honshitsu
essence, true nature, reality
N1
本体
hontai
substance, body, trunk
N1
本音
honne
(one's) real intention, motive
N1
本能
honnou
instinct
N1
本場
homba
home, best place, genuine
N1
本文
hombun
text (of document), body (of letter)
N1
本名
hommyou
real name
Kanji