人 U+4EBA, 人 ← 亹[U+4EB9] CJK Unified Ideographs 亻 →[U+4EBB] ⼈ U+2F08, ⼈ ← ⼇[U+2F07] Kangxi Radicals ⼉ →[U+2F09] ㆟ U+319F, ㆟ ← ㆞[U+319E] Kanbun ㆠ →[U+31A0] Stroke order Stroke order

  • 亻 (when used as a left radical)
  • 彳 (when used as a left radical)
  • 𠂉 (when used as an upper radical)

(Kangxi radical 9, 人+0, 2 strokes, Cangjie input 人 (O), four-corner 80000, composition ⿸丿㇏)

  1. Kangxi radical #9, .
  • Appendix:Chinese radical/人
  • 㕥, 汄, 队, 㫃, 朲, 㽗, 臥, 畒, 䖋, 认, 龪, 閄 (𬮘), 飤 (𬲦), 魜 (𬶁)
  • 欠, 㞤, 秂, 珡, 庂, 勽, 贝, 肉, 臾, 閃 (闪), 囚, 火, 齿, 大, 内, 㬰
  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 91, character 1
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 344
  • Dae Jaweon: page 190, character 1
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 101, character 10
  • Unihan data for U+4EBA

Pictogram (象形) – side view of a standing man, highlighting an arm and a leg. Compare 大, 立 (lì), 卩, 夭, and 氏 according to one interpretation. See also the original version of 年.

亼 is similar but unrelated; it represents an open mouth flipped upside down and appears on top of characters such as 食, 金, 令, 龠, and 今.

It represents a roof in the characters 余, 茶, 舍, and 倉. It represents a flag on a flagpole in 㫃. Eventually, it represents two parallel mountain walls in 谷.

The stylized version to the left of the characters is 亻 (see also 千). Similar but unrelated to 彳.

simp. and trad. alternative forms

Sagart (1999) relates it to Tibetan ཉེན (nyen, “relative”), from ཉེ (nye, “near”) + nominalizing suffix -n; if so, from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *nəj(ʔ) (“near”).

Schuessler (2007) proposes two etymologies:

  • Same etymon as 仁 (OC *njin, “to be kind; to be good”), from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s/k-niŋ (“heart; brain; mind”). The semantic association of 仁 with 人 was somewhat late, dated to Mencius’s time; later on, 仁 would be usually interpreted as “humane, acting like a human being”.
    • If so, semantically parallel with Tibetan སེམས་ཅན (sems can, “living being, human, animal”, literally “possessor of mind”); and Latin animalis (“living, having soul”) from anima (“soul”).
  • Related to Proto-Mon-Khmer *ɲaʔ ~ *ɲah (“person”) with a nominalizing suffix -n, from the auto-ethnonym of a hostile, possibly Austroasiatic-speaking, eastern people, whom the Sinitic-speaking Shang referred to as 人方 (OC *njin paŋ).

  1. man; person; people (Classifier: 個/个 m c; 隻/只 h) 類/类 ― rénlèi ― humans 那是誰?/那是谁? ― rén shì shéi? ― Who is that person? 嗰個係邊個嚟㗎? [Cantonese, trad.]嗰个系边个嚟㗎? [Cantonese, simp.]go2 go3 jan4-2 hai6 bin1 go3 lai4 gaa3? [Jyutping]Who is that person? 有敲門了。/有敲门了。 ― Yǒurén qiāomén le.Someone knocked on the door.
    • 無論過去抑如今 無論海水有外深 我的身邊總有天地 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]无论过去抑如今 无论海水有外深 我的身边总有天地 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]bô-lūn kòe-khì ia̍h jû-kim, bô-lūn hái-chúi ū gōa chhim, góa ê sin-piⁿ chóng ū thian tē jîn [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]No matter in the past or the present, no matter how deep the ocean is, I always have the heavens, the earth, and people by my side.
  2. a person associated with a particular identity or trait; -er 主持zhǔchírén ― host 北京Běijīngrén ― Beijinger 香港 [Cantonese] ― hoeng1 gong2 jan4 [Jyutping] ― Hongkonger
  3. body 在心不在 ― rén zài xīn bù zài ― the body is here but the heart is not 這兩天不大舒服。 [MSC, trad.]这两天不大舒服。 [MSC, simp.]Zhè liǎng tiān rén bùdà shūfú. [Pinyin]I [lit. the body] haven’t been feeling that well these few days. 今天上午你在哪? [MSC, trad. and simp.]Jīntiān shàngwǔ nǐ rén zài nǎ? [Pinyin]Where have you been this morning?
    • 而仅一年后,他的政权轰然倒塌,甚至连都跑到了俄罗斯。 [MSC, simp.]而僅一年後,他的政權轟然倒塌,甚至連都跑到了俄羅斯。 [MSC, trad.]Ér jǐn yī nián hòu, tā de zhèngquán hōngrán dǎotā, shènzhì lián rén dōu pǎo dào le Éluósī. [Pinyin]And merely 1 year later, his regime has collapsed spectacularly, and he himself has fled to Russia.
  4. everybody; everyone 手一冊/手一册 ― rén shǒu yī cè ― It’s a bestseller. (literally, “Everyone has a copy.”) 所共知 ― rénsuǒgòngzhī ― common knowledge
  5. other people; others 云亦云 ― rényúnyìyún ― to follow the crowd (literally, “to say what others say”) 害害己 ― hàirénhàijǐ ― to harm others and oneself
    • 仁者愛,有禮者敬。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]仁者爱,有礼者敬。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]From: Mencius, c. 4th century BCERénzhě ài rén, yǒulǐ zhě jìng rén. [Pinyin]A benevolent person loves others. A person of propriety shows respect to others.
  6. physical, psychological or moral quality or condition; character; personality (Classifier: 份 c; 個/个 c) 就我所知,他不錯。 [MSC, trad.]就我所知,他不错。 [MSC, simp.]Jiùwǒsuǒzhī, tā rén bùcuò. [Pinyin]As far as I know, he is kind.(literally, “his personality is not bad”) 我不知道他是什麼。 [MSC, trad.]我不知道他是什么。 [MSC, simp.]Wǒ bù zhīdào tā shì shénme rén. [Pinyin]I don’t know what kind of person he is. 佢到底係咩嚟㗎? [Cantonese, trad.]佢到底系咩嚟㗎? [Cantonese, simp.]keoi5 dou3 dai2 hai6 me1 jan4 lai4 gaa3? [Jyutping]Exactly what kind of person is he? 佢個好懶。 [Cantonese, trad.]佢个好懒。 [Cantonese, simp.]keoi5 go3 jan4 hou2 laan5. [Jyutping]He is very lazy.
  7. manpower; worker; employee 我們公司正缺。 [MSC, trad.]我们公司正缺。 [MSC, simp.]Wǒmen gōngsī zhèng quē rén. [Pinyin]Our company is short on manpower right now.
  8. talent; person of talent
  9. (obsolete) common people; commoner
    • 皇天上帝,后土神祇,眷顧降命,屬秀黎元,為父母,秀不敢當。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]皇天上帝,后土神祇,眷顾降命,属秀黎元,为父母,秀不敢当。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]From: The Book of the Later Han, circa 5th century CEHuángtiān shàngdì, hòutǔ shénqí, juàngù jiàngmìng, shǔ Xiù líyuán, wéi rén fùmǔ, Xiù bùgǎn dāng. [Pinyin](please add an English translation of this quotation)
  10. adult; grown-up 長大成/长大成zhǎngdà chéngrén ― to grow up to be an adult
  11. artificial; man-made 禍/祸 ― rénhuò ― human disaster
  12. (fantasy, mythology) were- (indicates a person who changes shape into an animal) 狼lángrénwerewolf 虎rénweretiger
  13. (Cantonese) used as a dummy pronoun; someone; others
  14. (Zhao’an Hakka) pluralizes a personal pronoun 𠊎、你、佢 [Zhao’an Hakka, trad. and simp.]ngai` ngin`, hen` ngin`, gui` ngin` [Taiwanese Hakka Romanization System]we, you all, they
  15. (obsolete) sexual intercourse 道 ― réndào ― sexual intercourse 事 ― rénshì ― sexual intercourse
  16. (obsolete) company; companion; friend
  17. (obsolete) human affairs; ways of the world
  18. (obsolete) mortal world; earthly word
  19. (obsolete) alternative form of (rén, “kernel”)
  20. (obsolete) alternative form of (rén, “charity”)
  21. (obsolete) alternative form of (rén, “loving; kind”)
  22. (Beijing Mandarin) Lenition of 人家 (rénjia). 別磨蹭啦,在外頭等著我們呢! [dialectal Mandarin, trad.]别磨蹭啦,在外头等着我们呢! [dialectal Mandarin, simp.]Bié móceng la, rén zǎi wàitou děng zhe wǒmen ne! [Pinyin]Stop dilly-dallying. He/She/They is/are waiting for us outside! 哎呀,孩子考上哈佛大學啦,多出息呀! [dialectal Mandarin, trad.]哎呀,孩子考上哈佛大学啦,多出息呀! [dialectal Mandarin, simp.]Āiya, rén háizi kǎoshang Hāfó Dàxué la, duō chūxi ya! [Pinyin]Geez, his/her/their kid got into Harvard University. How promising! 別人都不吱聲兒,就他把這事兒給說出來了。 [MSC, trad.]别人都不吱声儿,就他把这事儿给说出来了。 [MSC, simp.]Rén biéren dōu bù zīshengr, jiù tā bǎ zhèi shìr gěi shuō chulai le. [Pinyin]All the others are not peeping, only he groaned out a sound
  23. (Taishanese) paternal grandmother
  24. a surname

simp. and trad. alternative forms 儂/侬𠆧農/农 Hokkien

The Min native word for “person”; used as a replacement character for 儂 / 侬. It is historically attested for Hokkien in the Arte de la Lengua Chiõ Chiu (1620)[1] and Dictionario Hispanico Sinicum (1626-1642).[2] Use of 人 for Hokkien is recommended by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education (ROC MOE).

(Coastal Min)

  1. man; person; people; human being; Homo sapiens (Classifier: 個/个 mn; 隻/只 md)
  2. a person associated with a particular identity or trait; -er 臺灣/台湾 [Hokkien] ― Tâi-oân-lâng [Pe̍h-ōe-jī] ― Taiwanese
  3. physical, psychological or moral quality or condition 伊𣍐䆀。 [Hokkien, trad.]伊𫧃䆀。 [Hokkien, simp.]I lâng bē-bái. [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]He is kind.(literally, “His personality is not bad.”)

(Coastal Min)

  1. other people
    • 講三百六十五行會當行行出狀元。 [Hokkien, trad.]讲三百六十五行会当行行出状元。 [Hokkien, simp.]Lâng kóng saⁿ-pah la̍k-cha̍p-gō͘ hâng ē-tàng hâng-hâng chhut chiōng-goân. [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]People say you can be a master in any of the 365 trades.
  2. I; me
  • (Mandarin) 人家
  • “人”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎[10], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014-
  • Dictionary of Chinese Character Variants (教育部異體字字典), A00068
  • “人”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2026.

(First grade kyōiku kanji)

  • Go-on: にん (nin, Jōyō)
  • Kan-on: じん (jin, Jōyō)
  • Kun: ひと (hito, , Jōyō)、たり (tari, )、 (ri, )
  • Nanori: きよ (kiyo)、さね (sane)、 (ji)、たみ (tami)、 (to)、 (ne)、ひこ (hiko)、ひとし (hitoshi)、ふと (futo)、ふみ (fumi)、むと (muto)、 (me)

Kanji in this term 人 ひとGrade: 1 kun’yomi Alternative spelling ヒト (sciences)

⟨pi1to2⟩ → */pʲitə/ → /fito/ → /hito/ → /çito/

From Old Japanese, from Proto-Japonic *pitə.

First attested in the Kojiki of 712 CE.[1]

  • IPA(key): [çi̥to̞]
  • (Tokyo) ひと [hìtó] (Heiban – [0])[2][3][4]
  • (Tokyo) ひと [hìtóꜜ] (Odaka – [2]) when preceded by any premodifier
  • (Kyōto, Ōsaka) ひ​と [híꜜtò] (Kōki)

人(ひと) • (hito) (counter )

  1. a person, human
    1. ヒト: (sciences, specifically) Homo sapiens; human
  2. an individual Synonym: 個人 (kojin)
  3. mankind, people Synonyms: 人類 (jinrui), 人間 (ningen)
  4. character, personality Synonyms: 人格 (jinkaku), 人柄 (hitogara)
  5. an average person Synonym: 世人 (sejin, yohito)
  6. (law) legal person
  7. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}. Synonyms: 方 (kata), 者 (mono)
  8. an adult Synonyms: 大人 (otona), 成人 (seijin)
  9. someone (else) 人(ひと)の物(もの)を盗(ぬす)むhito no mono o nusumuto steal someone‘s things; to steal people‘s things
  • From Old Japanese or Middle Japanese development, hito is sometimes shifted to -uto, -udo, -to, -tto, or -do.

人(ひと) • (hito)

  1. (archaic) second-person personal pronoun: you

Kanji in this term 人 にんGrade: 1 goon

From Early Middle Chinese 人 (MC nyin). The goon reading, so likely the initial borrowing. Compare Shanghainese nyin.

  • IPA(key): [ɲ̟ĩɴ]
  • (Tokyo) にん [níꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])[2][4]

人(にん) • (nin)

  1. a personality
  2. the role of that person

人(にん) • (-nin)

  1. counter for number of people

人(にん) • (nin)

  1. man

Kanji in this term 人 じんGrade: 1 kan’on

From Late Middle Chinese 人 (MC nyin). The kan’on reading, so likely a later borrowing. Compare Mandarin (rén).

  • IPA(key): [d͡ʑĩɴ]
  • (Tokyo) じん [jíꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])[4][3]

人(じん) • (-jin)

  1. person from that group 日本(にほん)人(じん)、イギリス人(じん)、スペイン人(じん)、ドイツ人(じん)、米国(べいこく)人(じん)、スコットランド人(じん)Nihonjin, Igirisujin, Supeinjin, Doitsujin, Beikokujin, Sukottorandojina Japanese person, an Englishman, a Spaniard, a German, an American, a Scot
  2. person who does the activity of the suffixed word

When affixed, it makes the accent fall on the preceding syllable. For example:

  • 中国 (ちゅꜜうごく) + 中国人 (ちゅうごꜜじん)
  • アメリカ + アメリカ人 (アメリꜜじん)
  • スペꜜイン + スペイン人 (スペꜜンじん
  • ノルウェꜜー + ノルウェー人 (ノルウェꜜーじん

There are notable exceptions:

  • 日本 (にほꜜん/にっぽꜜん) + 日本人 (にほんꜜん/にっぽんꜜん)
  • 朝鮮 (ちょうせꜜん) + 朝鮮人 (ちょうせんꜜん)

人(じん) • (jin)

  1. man
  2. short for 人造 (jinzō): artificial, synthetic

Kanji in this term 人 りGrade: 1 kun’yomi

From Old Japanese. The protoform may have been -tari, see 三人 (mitari, literally “three people”).

  • IPA(key): [ta̠ɾʲi]
  • IPA(key): [ɾʲi]

人(たり) • (-tari) 人(り) • (-ri)

  1. counter for number of people
  • 一人(ひとり) (hitori), 独(ひと)り (hitori)
  • 二人(ふたり) (futari)
  • 三人(みたり) (mitari)

Kanji in this term 人 んちゅGrade: 1 irregular For pronunciation and definitions of 人 – see the following entry. 【んちゅ】 [suffix] (slang, potentially sensitive) person (This term, , is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

  • “人”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎[11] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015-2026

From Middle Chinese 人 (MC nyin).

Historical readings Dongguk Jeongun reading Dongguk Jeongun, 1448 ᅀᅵᆫ (Yale: zìn) Middle Korean Text Eumhun Gloss (hun) Reading Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[12] 사〯ᄅᆞᆷ (Yale: sǎlòm) ᅀᅵᆫ (Yale: zìn)

  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [in]
  • Phonetic hangul: [인]

(eumhun 사람 인 (saram in))

  1. hanja form? of (“human; person”)
  • 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전/電子字典. [13]

(First grade kyōiku kanji)

  • Kun: ちゅー (chū, )

From Proto-Ryukyuan *pito (“person; human”), from Proto-Japonic *pitə (“person; human”).

  • IPA(key): /t͡ɕuː/

人(ちゅー) (chū)

  1. person
  2. human

(First grade kyōiku kanji)

  • On (unclassified): にん (nin, Jōyō)
  • Kun: ぴぃとぅ (psïtu, )

From Proto-Ryukyuan *pito (“person; human”), from Proto-Japonic *pitə (“person; human”).

  • IPA(key): /ps̩tu/

人(ぴぃとぅ) (psïtu)

  1. person
  2. human
  • IPA(key): /niŋ/

人(にん) (-nin)

  1. counter for number of people

(First grade kyōiku kanji)

  • On (unclassified): にん (nin, Jōyō)
  • Kun: っちゅ (tchu, )、ぴとぅ (pitu, )、 (i, )、たい (tai, )
  • 人間(にんじん) (ninjin)

Kanji in this term 人 っちゅGrade: 1 kun’yomi

From Proto-Ryukyuan *pito (“person; human”), from Proto-Japonic *pitə (“person; human”).

  • IPA(key): /t̚t͡ɕu/

人(っちゅ) (tchu)

  1. person
  2. human
  • 沖(うち)縄(なー)ん人(ちゅ) (uchinānchu): Okinawans, Okinawa people
  • 八重山(いぇーやま)ん人(ちゅ) (yēyamanchu): Yaeyamans, Yaeyama people
  • 大和(やまとぅ)ん人(ちゅ) (yamatunchu): (non-Ryukyuan) Japanese people, mainlanders
  • 大(うふ)人(っちゅ) (ufutchu): adult
  • 海人(んみんちゅ) (nminchu)

Kanji in this term 人 ぴとぅGrade: 1 kun’yomi

人(ぴとぅ) (pitu)

  1. people
  2. person
  • 八重山(いぇーやま)人(ぴとぅ) (yēyamapitu): Yaeyamans, Yaeyama people

Kanji in this term 人 にんGrade: 1 on’yomi

人(にん) (nin)

  1. person; type of person
  • 官(くゎん)人(にん) (kwannin): public servant, civil servant, government official

人(にん) (-nin)

  1. counter for number of people
  • 五(ぐ)人(にん) (gunin): five people
  • 八(はち)人(にん) (hachinin): eight people
  • 九(く)人(にん) (kunin): nine people
  • 十(じゅー)人(にん) (jūnin): ten people

Kanji in this term 人 いGrade: 1 kun’yomi

人(い) (-i)

  1. counter for number of people
  • 一人(ちゅい) (chui), 独(ちゅ)い (chui, “alone, lone; one person”)

Kanji in this term 人 たいGrade: 1 kun’yomi

人(たい) (-tai)

  1. counter for number of people
  • 幾(いく)人(たい) (ikutai): how many (people, persons, members)
  • 二人(たい) (tai): two people
  • 三(みっ)人(ちゃい) (mitchai): three people
  • 四(ゆっ)人(たい) (yuttai): four people
  • 五(いち)人(たい) (ichitai): five people
  • 六(むっ)人(たい) (muttai): six people
  • 七(なな)人(たい) (nanatai): seven people
  • 八(やっ)人(たい) (yattai): eight people

chữ Hán Nôm in this term人

人: Hán Việt readings: nhân (如(như)鄰(lân)切(thiết))[1][2] 人: Nôm readings: nhơn[1][2][3][4], nhân[1][4], người[1]

  1. chữ Hán form of nhân
    1. (Northern Vietnam) human
    2. Kangxi radical 9—‘man’
  2. (Southern Vietnam) chữ Hán form of nhơn (“human”)

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From Template:inh, from Template:inh.

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  1. person
  2. human

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From Template:inh, from Template:inh.

  • Template:IPA

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  1. person
  2. human

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