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道Nihongo Path
員

員·member, staff

On-yomi
イン
Kun-yomi
none

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

10 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
店員てんいんshop clerk
会員かいいんmember
社員しゃいんcompany employee
駅員えきいんstation attendant

Example sentences

  1. 店員さんに道を聞きました。

    てんいんさんにみちをききました。

    I asked the shop clerk for directions.

  2. 姉は銀行の社員です。

    あねはぎんこうのしゃいんです。

    My older sister works for a bank.

  3. 駅員に切符を見せてください。

    えきいんにきっぷをみせてください。

    Please show your ticket to the station attendant.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 店員 as *てんにん — it is てんいん.
  • Dropping the い in 会員 — it is かいいん, with two い sounds.

Memory aid

Picture it

A mouth (口) over a shell of money (貝) — one counted head among the paid members of a group.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 員 mean?