I'm having real trouble knowing what reading to use for 人. I especially confuse じん and にん.

Is there any method/system/way as to what reading to use or is it just a matter of familiarisation with each particular word?

I wish I could say otherwise, but in my experience it's a case of familiarisation with each word.

人間　人材　巨人　本人

><"

*edit*

Ooh... just to make you real happy 海人 XD

あの男の人は日本人です。JIN is used to say nacionalities.

このクラスで日本人が二人います。 NIN is used to count people. In this case is read ふたり.
このクラスで日本人が三人います。さんにん
In this class there are 2/3 japanese students.

男の人 (おとこのひと) means man.

When you learn grammar will understand better. I was like you. And still am, I'm a complete newbie, I haven't reached evel 4 yet (though I'm close to).

Except for the cases Carolina listed, it's pretty much something you'll have to learn on a case by case basis.

Check this out. It's just random folks guesses but it seems to explain it pretty well.

http://mentai.2ch.net/gogaku/kako/968/968431600.html

This seems to be the best explaination

これには100％のルールはありませんね。
でも、基本的には―――

（１）まず、「殺人」「求人」のように、
　　「人を○○する」という意味になるものは、必ず、「ジン」。
（２）ａ　「日本人」「社会人」「現代人」「主人」「美人」のように、
　　　　　「人」の前の言葉が動詞にできないものは一般に「ジン」。
　　　ｂ　「老人」「成人」「達人」「巨人」のように、
　　　　　「人」の前の言葉が動詞にできても、
　　　　　それが職業・身分を表したり、
　　　　　一度その状態になると、他の状態や元の状態に
　　　　　なりにくい・なれないものの場合は一般に「ジン」。
　　　　　この意味で、15さんのスペイン語のserとestar、ぴったりですね。
（３）ａ　「保証人」「管理人」「受取人」「病人」「死人」「犯人」のように、
　　　　　「人」の前の言葉が動詞にできるものは一般に「ニン」。
　　　ｂ　「他人」「当人」「浪人」「芸人」「３人、４人･･･」のように、
　　　　　「人」の前の言葉が動詞にできなくても
　　　　　その状態から他の状態に変えやすいもの、
　　　　　恒久的な状態を表さないものの場合は「ニン」。

　従って、それぞれａとｂの条件を併せ持っている場合は、
　かなりの確率で（１）（２）のルールが適用できます。
　「外国人」・・・「外国」が動詞にできず、身分的な要素をあらわしているから「ジン」。
　「案内人」・・・「案内」が動詞にでき、恒久的な状態を表していないから「ニン」。

　ただし、これには「愛人」「役人」など、結構例外もあります。
　とりあえず、ａのルールは必要かと思います。
　「大人」「素人」のような慣用読みについては、この限りではありません。

Best explanation ever read. Being Spanish even makes more sense.
Now we know that once you are seen as 変人, you can not change

I liked the explanation, but it seems like a moot point really. Too many exceptions, and it's too complicated.

I have more trouble with 所 ... しょ　or じょ　... ><"

Many thanks for the quick responses.

Just knowing that I'm not missing some trick will make the frustration of getting it wrong just a little easier to handle

It's why one needs to learn words from context and exposure. Learning readings won't help you when readings change without any rules. It's all about knowing the words and being familiar with them.

heromode Wrote:I have more trouble with 所 ... しょ　or じょ　... ><"

Yep, me too. For the moment exposure isn't helping me very much with those. Wait and see.

nyquil Wrote:

heromode Wrote:I have more trouble with 所 ... しょ　or じょ　... ><"

Yep, me too. For the moment exposure isn't helping me very much with those. Wait and see.

Depends on what you're aiming for. Do you want to be able to guess which reading it is? Then you should probably give up, it isn't going to happen. Readings are generally not logical at all, and you can't ever expect to properly guess a reading of a jukugo. Educational guesses are great, but it's not something one can master, no matter how much exposure you get, not even natives can do it. You simply have to learn every word which uses 所.

Here's what one of my Japanese teacher told me.
ジン brings up an image of long-term, whereas ニン is more short-term

Although these rules seem to apply for more about suffixes, but it does seem pretty much right from personal experience.
E.g 盲人 isn't something you can change, where 病人 isn't necessarily permanent.

It is cool to read stuff like that ニン・ジン topic from 2chan, so I checked the 言語学 board and the first post I see is ちんこっていったら全部をイメージするけど、
ティムポっていったら竿だけな感じがする。
/facepalm
For anyone who doesn't know, 竿 pretty much means rod, like a fishing rod, but Japanese love to use it for a dick as well

It is noble work they do.

~J

I need to read more 2ch threads. They are doing serious linguistic research there.