人
contributes the sense of a human being — people · Kangxi radical 9
contributes the sense of a human being — people, and things people do or make
The oldest form is a side view of a standing person: a head and body arcing over, with an arm hanging in front and a leg trailing behind. Over time the head and arm merged into the single sweeping left stroke and the leg became the short right stroke, so the modern 人 is a stick figure seen from the side, leaning forward as if walking. When it sits on top of another element it flattens into the 亼 or 𠆢 shape you see in 今, 余, 伞 and 金, still just a person's outline turned into a roof-like cover.
人 at a glance
- Meaning
- contributes the sense of a human being — people
- Strokes
- 2
- Characters
- 53
- Role
- Contributes meaning
- Kangxi radical
- 9
Characters with 人 (43 of 53)
HSK 1 · 7
HSK 3 · 1
HSK 5 · 7
Beyond HSK · 17
Frequently asked questions
What does the component 人 mean?
人 means "contributes the sense of a human being — people". In the characters that contain it, it contributes meaning.
How many Chinese characters contain 人?
53 characters in this dictionary contain 人, including ones at HSK 1, HSK 2, HSK 3, HSK 4, HSK 5, HSK 6.
Is 人 a radical?
Yes — 人 is Kangxi radical 9, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.
How many strokes does 人 have?
人 is written in 2 strokes.