二人

Japanese

Etymology 1
Kanji in this term
二 人
ふた
Grade: 1		 り
Grade: 1
kun’yomi
Alternative spelling
2人

From Old Japanese.

  • The most likely derivation is from 二 (futa, “2, two”) +‎ 人 (-ri, counter for persons).
  • Alternatively, from 二 (fu, “2, two”, short-form) +‎ 人 (-tari, counter for persons).
  • Yet another probable derivation would be a shift from 二 (futa, “2, two”) +‎ 人 (-tari):
    /puta tari/ → */put̚tari/ → /putari/ → /futari/

(Can this(+) etymology be sourced?)

Pronunciation
  • (Tokyo) ふたり​ [fùtáríꜜ] (Odaka – [3])[1]
  • IPA(key): [ɸɯ̟ᵝta̠ɾʲi]

Noun

二(ふた)人(り) • (futari) 

  1. two people
    私(わたし)と二人(ふたり)きり
    watashi to futari-kiri
    just the two of us
    二人(ふたり)とも凄(すご)いですね
    futari-tomo sugoi desu ne
    those two are remarkable, aren't they / you two are remarkable, aren't you
  2. a couple, pair
    二人(ふたり)で暮(く)らす
    futari de kurasu
    to live as a couple
  3. (poetic) the two of us, we two
    • 711–712, Kojiki, poem 19:
      阿斯波良能(あしはらの)志祁志岐袁夜邇(しけしきをやに)須賀多多美(すがたたみ)伊夜佐夜斯岐弖(いやさやしきて)和賀(わが)布多理(ふたり)泥斯(ねし) [Man'yōgana]
      葦原(あしはら)のしけしき小屋(をや)に菅(すが)畳(だたみ)いやさや敷(し)きて我(わ)がふたり寝(ね)し [Modern spelling]
      ashihara no shikeshiki oya ni suga-datami iya saya shikite waga futari neshi
      (please add an English translation of this example)
Usage notes
  • Like 一人 (hitori), despite its etymology, furigana notations for this word tend not to use mono-ruby by attaching kana to each kanji (二(ふた)人(り)), but group-ruby by attaching all the kana to all the kanji as a whole (二人(ふたり)).
Derived terms
Derived terms
  • 二人(ふたり)口(ぐち) (futari-guchi)
  • 二人(フタリ)静(シズカ) (futarishizuka)
  • 二人(ふたり)大名(だいみょう) (Futari Daimyō)
  • 二人(ふたり)使(づか)い (futari-zukai)
  • 二人(ふたり)の主人(しゅじん)を一(いち)度(ど)に持(も)つと (Futari no Shujin o Ichido ni Motsu to)
  • 二人(ふたり)の人間(にんげん) (Futari no Ningen)
  • 二人(ふたり)のやもめ (Futari no Yamome)
  • 二人(ふたり)乗(の)り (futari-nori)
  • 二人(ふたり)袴(ばかま) (Futari-bakama)
Idioms
  • 欲(よく)と二人(ふたり)連(づ)れ (yoku to futari-zure)
Proverbs
  • 二人(ふたり)は伴侶(はんりょ)，三人(さんにん)は仲(なか)間(ま)割(わ)れ (futari wa hanryo, sannin wa nakamaware)

Etymology 2
Kanji in this term
二 人
に
Grade: 1		 にん
Grade: 1
on’yomi
Alternative spelling
2人

Compound of Middle Chinese elements 二 (ni, “2, two”) +‎ 人 (nin, “man, person”).

Pronunciation
  • (Tokyo) にに​ん [nìníꜜǹ] (Nakadaka – [2])[1]
  • IPA(key): [ɲ̟iɲ̟ĩɴ]

Noun

二(に)人(にん) • (ninin) 

  1. two persons
  2. a couple, pair
Usage notes

The reading is only used in compounds in modern Japanese.

Derived terms
Derived terms

See also
  • 両人(りょうにん) (ryōnin, “both people”)
Japanese number-counter combinations for 人
1 2 3 4 5
一(ひと)人(り) (hitori)
一(いち)人(にん) (ichinin)		 二(ふた)人(り) (futari)
二(に)人(にん) (ninin)		 三(さん)人(にん) (sannin)
三(み)人(たり) (mitari)		 四(よ)人(にん) (yonin)
四(よ)人(たり) (yotari)
四(よっ)人(たり) (yottari)		 五(ご)人(にん) (gonin)
五(いつ)人(たり) (itsutari)
6 7 8 9 10
六(ろく)人(にん) (rokunin)
六(む)人(たり) (mutari)
六(むゆ)人(たり) (muyutari)		 七(しち)人(にん) (shichinin)
七(なな)人(にん) (nananin)
七(なな)人(たり) (nanatari)		 八(はち)人(にん) (hachinin)
八(や)人(たり) (yatari)		 九(く)人(にん) (kunin)
九(きゅう)人(にん) (kyūnin)
九(ここの)人(たり) (kokonotari)		 十(じゅう)人(にん) (jūnin)
十(と)人(たり) (totari)
20 100 1,000 10,000 How many?
二(に)十(じゅう)人(にん) (nijūnin)
廿(にじゅう)人(にん) (nijūnin)
二十(はた)人(たり) (hatatari)
廿(はた)人(たり) (hatatari)		 百(ひゃく)人(にん) (hyakunin)
百(もも)人(たり) (momotari)		 千(せん)人(にん) (sennin)
千(ち)人(たり) (chitari)		 一(いち)万(まん)人(にん) (ichimannin)
万(まん)人(にん) (mannin)
万(ばん)人(にん) (bannin)		 何(なん)人(にん) (nannin)
幾(いく)人(にん) (ikunin)
幾(いく)人(たり) (ikutari)

References
  1. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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