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Plate 1 The Chinese character 人, two strokes leaning against each other

Rén 人

The character for 'person', and the radical found in many characters to do with people.

Chinese radicals. Also called person radical, radical 9.

Meaning

As a radical it usually takes the narrow form 亻 on the left of a character, as in 你 'you' and 他 'he'.

Origin and history

The earliest form, on Shang dynasty oracle bones, is a standing figure seen from the side. Over the following millennium the figure was pared down until only the two strokes of the modern character remained.

How the form changed

  1. Drawing to come

    a Oracle bone script (Shang dynasty, c. 1250–1050 BCE). A standing figure in profile, arm reaching forward.

  2. Drawing to come

    b Bronze script (Western Zhou dynasty).

  3. Drawing to come

    c Small seal script (Qin dynasty, 3rd century BCE).

  4. Drawing to come

    d Clerical script (Han dynasty).

  5. Drawing to come

    e Regular script (From the 3rd century CE). The modern form.

Sources

  1. Kangxi Dictionary (1716), radical 9
  2. Chinese Writing, by Qiu Xigui, Society for the Study of Early China

Last reviewed September 23, 2026.