How Many People
noun, expression
When you ask what people you're not actually asking "what people?" You're asking how many people. One thing you'll notice with Japanese and kanji is that 何, when added to other things, often means "how many _____" rather than "what ____." Just something you have to know and experience a bit to catch on to, but you will, I believe in you.
This word uses the kun'yomi reading for 何 and the on'yomi reading for 人. Since 何 and 人 both have two readings, here's a mnemonic to help you remember which ones to use:
How many people eat naan at Nintendo (なんにん)? You've been tasked with counting everybody eating naan for lunch at Nintendo, so you better get started!
スタッフは何人ですか？
How many people are on your staff?
そのパーティーには、何人来ましたか。
How many people came to that party?
今まで大体何人の男の人とデートに行きましたか？
About how many men have you ever been on a date with?