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仁 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
仁rénhumaneHSK 6, ng, 4 strokes, radical 亻, rank #10963, Hard
仁rénkernelHSK 6, ng, 4 strokes, radical 亻, rank #10963, Hard
仁rénbenevolent, humane, kindHSK 6, ng, 4 strokes, radical 亻, rank #10963, Hard
rén(ren2) T2
  1. 1humane
  2. 2kernel
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March 24, 2026

仁rén(ren2)

仁 (rén) refers to the concept of benevolence or humanity in Confucian philosophy. It embodies kindness, compassion, and a sense of moral duty to others, often used in contexts relating to ethics and interpersonal relationships.

Strokes4Radical亻Frequency#10963DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

仁 is central to Confucianism, representing the highest virtue one can achieve. It reflects the importance of community and relationships in Chinese society, where showing kindness is often seen as a moral obligation.

Memory Tip

Imagine a heart (the radical for 仁 looks like a person with a heart). Think of 'rén' as 'rain' that nourishes the earth, symbolizing kindness that helps others grow and thrive.

Meanings of 仁

rén(ren2)
1humane
2kernel
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 仁

仁Simplified
4Strokes
亻Radical
名语素míngcínoun root (n.root)Part of Speech
#10963Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6

Podcast: 仁

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Podcast: 仁

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AI Study Notes for 仁

Quick Contrast

仁 (rén) vs 慈 (cí) — choose 仁 for a broader sense of benevolence and moral duty, while 慈 specifically emphasizes kindness and compassion.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a heart (the radical for 仁 looks like a person with a heart). Think of 'rén' as 'rain' that nourishes the earth, symbolizing kindness that helps others grow and thrive.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 仁 with similar-sounding words like 人 (rén), which means 'person.' It is often used in formal contexts, especially in philosophical discussions or when describing moral character. Common collocations include 仁爱 (rén ài), meaning 'benevolence' or 'compassion.'

HSK Study Tips

While 仁 is not in the HSK curriculum, it connects with other ethical concepts like 德 (dé, virtue) and 忍 (rěn, patience), which may appear in advanced studies. Focus on understanding its philosophical background to enhance your vocabulary.

Cultural Note

仁 is central to Confucianism, representing the highest virtue one can achieve. It reflects the importance of community and relationships in Chinese society, where showing kindness is often seen as a moral obligation.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 仁 with 人 (rén), which means 'person.' For example, saying '我很仁' (wǒ hěn rén) is incorrect; it should be '我很仁慈' (wǒ hěn réncí), meaning 'I am very benevolent.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 仁

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Etymology of 仁

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

A caring relationship between two 二 people 亻

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 仁?

Decomposition of 仁

IDS Structure⿰亻二
仁Full Character
=
亻ren2
left
二er4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 仁?

Write 仁

仁

Practice writing 仁 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 仁

仁 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 5

Complete the Sentence

玛丽亚对两个孩子都疼爱有加，向来一视同____。

Maria loved both the children. There was never a hint of favouritism.

Example Sentences for 仁 (10)

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1
玛丽亚对两个孩子都疼爱有加，向来一视同仁。

mǎ lì yà duì liǎng gè hái zǐ dū téng ài yǒu jiā， ， xiàng lái yī shì tóng。

Maria loved both the children. There was never a hint of favouritism.
2
普里莫·德里韦拉本人是个仁慈而真诚的家长式人物。

pǔ lǐ mò· · dé lǐ wéi lā běn rén shì gè rén cí ér zhēn chéng de jiā cháng shì rén。

Primo de Rivera himself was a benevolent and sincere paternalist.
3
明仁天皇在1959年打破皇室传统，娶了一位平民女子为妻。

míng rén tiān huáng zài1959 1959 nián dǎ pò huáng shì chuán， tǒng ， qǔ le yī wèi píng mín nǚ zǐ。

In 1959, Akihito broke with imperial tradition by marrying a commoner.
4
玛莎是个仁慈的老妇人.

mǎ suō shì gè rén cí de lǎo fù rén.

Martha is a benign old lady.
5
顾客不分男女老幼,一视同仁地对待.

gù kè bù fēn nán nǚ lǎo yòu, , yī shì tóng rén dì duì.

Customers are treated without distinction of sex and age.
6
中成药有: 六味地黄丸、知柏地黄丸 、 大补阴丸、柏子仁丸等.

zhōng chéng yào yǒu: : liù wèi dì huáng、 wán 、 zhī bǎi dì、 huáng wán 、 dà、 bǔ yīn wán 、 bǎi.

Proprietary Chinese medicines are: Liu Wei Di Huang Wan , big yin pills.
7
她好象神经质似地把她面前的蛋糕和甜杏仁羹推在一边.

tā hǎo xiàng shén jīng zhì sì dì bǎ tā miàn qián de dàn gāo hé tián xìng rén gēng tuī zài yī biān.

She nervously pushed away her cake and stewed apricots.
8
主要成份: 乳木果、海盐、甜杏仁油 、 杏仁颗粒、溶角蛋白酶.

zhǔ yào chéng fèn: : rǔ mù、 guǒ 、、 hǎi yán 、 tián、 xìng rén yóu 、、 xìng rén kē lì 、.

Ingredient: Shea butter, sea salt and sweet almond oil etc.
9
岳春河,1971年生人, 原北京同仁医院外科医师.

yuè chūn hé,1971 ,1971 nián shēng, rén , yuán běi jīng tóng rén yī yuàn wài kē.

Yue Chunhe , born in 1971, former surgeon of Beijing Tong Ren Hospital.
10
何首乌、麦冬、天冬 、 胡麻仁滋阴润燥.

hé shǒu wū、 、 mài、 dōng 、、 tiān dōng 、 hú má rén zī.

The polygonum multiflorum , Mai Dong, the flax kernel nourishes yin.

Cultural Notes for 仁

🏮Cultural insight

仁 is central to Confucianism, representing the highest virtue one can achieve. It reflects the importance of community and relationships in Chinese society, where showing kindness is often seen as a moral obligation.

Word Family of 仁

Compounds1
芢
Words Containing This Character20
仁rénhumane
仁慈réncíbenevolent
杏仁almond
果仁fruit kernel
同仁Tongren county in Huangnan Tibetan autonomous prefecture 黃南藏族自治州|黄南藏族自治州[Huáng​nán​Zàng​zú​zì​zhì​zhōu], Qinghai
一视同仁to treat everyone equally favorably (idiom); not to discriminate between people一視同仁
仁兄(honorific written address) My dear friend
仁爱benevolence仁愛
虾仁shrimp meat蝦仁
仁义benevolence and righteousness仁義
仁川Incheon Metropolitan City in Gyeonggi Province 京畿道[Jīng​jī​dào], South Korea
成仁to die for a good cause
麻木不仁numbed
核仁nucleolus (within nucleus of cell)
当仁不让to be unwilling to pass on one's responsibilities to others當仁不讓
仁和Renhe district of Panzhihua city 攀枝花市[Pān​zhī​huā​shì], south Sichuan
同仁堂Tongrentang, Chinese pharmaceutical company (TCM)
仁至义尽extreme benevolence, utmost duty (idiom); meticulous virtue and attention to duty仁至義盡
桃仁peach kernel, used in Chinese medicine
铜仁Tongren city and prefecture in Guizhou銅仁
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 仁 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 仁

仁 emphasizes benevolence in a moral context, while 善 (shàn) focuses more on goodness and virtue in actions.