素人

sùrén

noun

Meanings

1 ordinary person (not a celebrity)
2 amateur
3 layperson

Characters

plain; unadorned

Examples

HSK 5

他不是明星，只是一个素人。

Tā bú shì míngxīng, zhǐshì yí ge sùrén.

He's not a celebrity, just an ordinary person.

HSK 5

这个广告没请明星，而是请了几位素人来拍。

Zhège guǎnggào méi qǐng míngxīng, érshì qǐng le jǐ wèi sùrén lái pāi.

This ad didn't hire celebrities; it got a few ordinary people to film it instead.

Tips

history

The word came from Japanese 素人 (shirōto) 'amateur, layperson'. In mainland media since the 2010s it means anyone who isn't a celebrity: 素人嘉宾 'non-celebrity guests' on dating and variety shows, 素人改造 'makeovers of ordinary people'. The opposite is 明星 'star'.

Stroke Order

素 sù

人 rén