• 社員しゃいん — company employee
• 会員かいいん — member
• 店員てんいん — store clerk
• 委員いいん — committee member
• 職員しょくいん — staff
• 満員まんいん — full of people

More examples ▼

員 originally depicted a container filled with round objects, symbolizing completeness or quantity. Over time, it came to represent people counted or grouped together — such as members or staff.

店員てんいんに聞きいてください。
Please ask the store clerk.

会員かいいんになると割引わりびきがあります。
If you become a member, you get a discount.