rén HSK 1

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

他是好人。
Tā shì hǎo rén.
He is a good person.
很多人。
Hěn duō rén.
Many people.
这是我的。
Zhè shì wǒ de.
This is mine.
每个人都值得尊重。
Měi gè rén dōu zhí dé zūn zhòng.
Every person deserves respect.
今天一位善良的人帮助了我。
Jīntiān yī wèi shàn liáng de rén bāng zhù le wǒ.
A kind person helped me today.

💡 Memory Tip

Imagine the character 人 looks like a person walking or standing with legs apart. It's one of the first characters learners write, often remembered as 'the walking person'.

📝 Usage Notes

This word is neutral and used in all contexts—formal and informal, spoken and written. It appears in countless everyday situations, from identifying individuals (e.g., 那个人, 'that person') to discussing groups (e.g., 人们, 'people').

📖 Grammar Points

人 can be used as a standalone noun or modified by adjectives (e.g., 好人, 'good person') and other nouns (e.g., 法国人, 'French person'). It is also part of the plural form 人们 (rénmen, 'people'), though 人 itself can imply plurality contextually.

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese philosophy and culture, 人 is central to concepts like 仁 (rén, 'benevolence'), emphasizing human relationships. The character's simple, two-stroke shape is said to symbolize a person standing upright, reflecting its foundational role in language and thought.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 人物 (rénwù, 'character/figure'), which often refers to a notable person or a character in a story, 人 is the general, everyday term for a person. 人士 (rénshì) is more formal, meaning 'personage' or 'personnel' in specific fields.

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