Chinese

Noun

凡人

1. ordinary person; common people
2. mortal

Japanese

Etymology 1

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

The goon, so likely the initial borrowing.

Pronunciation

• On'yomi: Goon
• (Tokyo) ぼんにん [bòńníń] (Heiban - [0])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [bõ̞nnĩɴ]

Noun

凡人 ‎(hiragana ぼんにん, romaji bonnin)

1. an ordinary person
2. a commoner, someone who is not nobility

Usage notes

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

• (ordinary person): 凡人 (ぼんじん) ‎(bonjin) (see below); 凡夫 (ぼんぶ) ‎(bonbu) (Buddhist overtones; used more in writing)
• (commoner): 平民 (へいみん) ‎(heimin): a commoner; 臣下 (しんか) ‎(shinka): a commoner, a subject

Etymology 2

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

Pronunciation

• On'yomi
• (Tokyo) ぼんじん [bòńjíń] (Heiban - [0])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [bõ̞nd͡ʑĩɴ]

Noun

凡人 ‎(hiragana ぼんじん, romaji bonjin)

1. an ordinary person
2. a commoner, someone who is not nobility

Usage notes

This appears to be the more common reading.

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

Synonyms

• (ordinary person): 凡人 (ぼんにん) ‎(bonnin) (see above); 凡夫 (ぼんぶ) ‎(bonbu) (Buddhist overtones; used more in writing)
• (commoner): 平民 (へいみん) ‎(heimin): a commoner; 臣下 (しんか) ‎(shinka): a commoner, a subject

Antonyms

• (ordinary person): 偉人 (いじん) ‎(ijin): a magnificent person

Etymology 3

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

• On'yomi: Kan'on
• IPA^(key): [hã̠nd͡ʑĩɴ]

Noun

凡人 ‎(hiragana はんじん, romaji hanjin)

1. (rare, possibly obsolete) an ordinary person, a commoner

Usage notes

The hanjin reading is the least common.

References

1. 1 2 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9
2. ↑ 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan