when to use 人(にん)vs 名(めい) when counting.

it’s as the title says. I keep seeing people use 名 to count people but I’m not sure of the differences between 人 and 名 and when to use either of them

2 comments
  1. 名 is more formal, so in daily life 99% of the time it’s used by service staff ,e.g., when arriving at a restaurant they may ask you “何名様ですか?” and you can/should reciprocate the politeness by answering with the same form (like 3名です).

    Otherwise 人 is just fine.

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