Chinese Characters

人

PINYIN

rén

Main meanings:

①human being; man; person.
②everybody, each.
③adult.

HSK - 1

STROKES - 2

RADICAL - 人

Etymology:
Elements ---- Pictogram of a person standing. Phonetic series 人.

This is a pictogram of a person standing, with legs separated. It is one of the more frequently used characters. Language, in fact, was created to serve the people. When it forms part of other characters it is simplified as 亻, a radical found in about 500 characters.

Main Words:

人民 rénmín – the people (person + people)
人民币 rénmínbì RMB (PRC currency)
人才réncái a person of talent.
人口 rénkǒu population.
人类 rénlèi human beings.
人生 rénshēng human life.
人事 rénshì human affairs.
人物 rénwù character; personage.
人员 rényuán personnel; staff.

Discussion and sources

All the scholars agree that this is a pictogram of a person, originally facing the left and now in a front view.

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