人
rén/ɻən³⁵/
The Chinese word for person is 人 (rén).
人 refers specifically to a human being. When you want to refer to the human race or humanity as a whole, use the term 人类. To refer to the population of a country or region, use 人口.
Meaning: specifically a human being (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To create the plural form 'people', add the suffix 们 to create 人们.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced rén.
Did you know?
- Some scholars believe 人 might be related to the word for 'mind' or 'brain' in Proto-Sino-Tibetan, mirroring how 'animal' in Latin comes from 'anima', meaning 'soul'.
- The character 人 is a pictogram that shows a standing man from the side, highlighting a single arm and a leg.
- In many characters, the stylized version of 人 appears on the left side as the radical 亻, such as in the word for 'he' or 'you'.
Examples in context
- 这个人是谁？Who is this person?Tatoeba #488780 by GlossaMatik, translation #488778 by CM
- 翻译很累人。Translating wears a person out.Tatoeba #3338947 by sadhen, translation #4728704 by paper1n0
- 汤姆是好人。Tom is a good person.Tatoeba #6449458 by Penny_Bo, translation #406600 by CK
- 他是个好人。He is a good person.
- 每个人都有梦想。Everyone has dreams.
- 这个人儿真有趣。This person is really interesting.
- 这个人真好。This person is really nice.
- 236 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Zihan are watching a crowded street.
- 志强 Zhiqiang这里的人真多！Zhèlǐ de rén zhēn duō!There are so many people here!
- 梓涵 Zihan是的，到处都是人。Shì de, dàochù dōu shì rén.Yes, there are people everywhere.
- 志强 Zhiqiang那个高的人是谁？Nàge gāo de rén shì shéi?Who is that tall person?
- 梓涵 Zihan我不认识那个人。Wǒ bù rènshi nàge rén.I don't know that person.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “person” translations and entries 人, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 人, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
