English 亻is one the most used radicals (the component of characters). “亻”, “单人旁(dān rén páng)” as we call it, stands for “人rén (people)”, and many characters with “亻” can be associated with people. In this blog we will take a look at some frequently used characters with “亻”, and give you tips on how to memorize them.
| Character /Pinyin | Meaning | How to memorize | Examples/ Examples’ pinyin | Examples’ meanings |
| 你 nǐ | You | (尔ěr) means “you” in ancient Chinese | 你的nǐ de | Yours |
| 们mén | A word to put behind personal pronouns to make them plural | Same pronunciation with (门mén), a lot of people pass by a door, and therefore, 们 stands for plural | 我们wǒ mén | We |
| 休xiū | Rest | A person (人) resting under the tree (木mù) | 休息xiū | Rest |
| 体tǐ | Body | 木=tree, 本(běn)=the root of the tree; thus the root/basis of a person is body | 身体shēn tǐ | Body |
| 仁rén | Kind | 亻+二 – When two (二èr) people (人) get along: be kind to each other | 仁慈rén cí | Mercy; kind |
| 化huà | Change | Originally it was, stands for two people, one normal, and the other one upside down, and thus “change” | 变化biàn huà | Change |
| 件jiàn | Piece | In ancient times, people’s clothes are made of animal skins, probably the skin of cow (牛niú), thus 件 is often the measure word for clothes: 一件(衣服yī fú) | 一件yí jiàn | One piece |
| 位wèi | Position | A person 人 knows where he should stand (立lì) or where to sit | 位置wèi zhì | Position/seat |
| 使shǐ | Command; use | An officer (吏lì) tells people 人 what to do, and therefore “command; use” | 使用shǐ yòng | Use |
| 做zuò | Do/make | 亻+故, (故gù) has the meaning “reason(缘故yuán gù)”: people do(做) things because of a reason (故) | 做饭zuò fàn | Cook (make a meal) |
| 作zuò | Arise; Job/work; Compose | 亻+乍, (乍zhà) means sudden, therefore the original meaning of 作, as a person suddenly gets up, is “arise”. Furthermore, a person needs to get up first to do his work (工作gōng zuò) | 作业zuò yè | Homework |
| 仙xiān | Immortal/god-like
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God-like people are often living in the mountains, apart from the common lives | 仙女xiān nǚ | Fairy |
| 像xiàng | Seem/like | Imagine when a blind person 人touches the part of elephant (象xiàng) and think what seems like(像)… | 好像hǎo xiàng | Just like |
| 信xìn | Letter; trust | When a person 人is writing down his (言yán), it is a letter; when a person 人 keeps his own words 言, he is trustworthy | 写信xiě xìn | Write letters |
| 俭jiǎn | Thrifty | 亻+佥：(佥qiān) relates to face (脸liǎn) a person (人) who can keep his face or get a good reputation by being thrifty (俭) | 节俭jié jiǎn | Thrifty, being economic |
| 供gōng | Give | 亻+共: (共gòng) means together, a person (人) who gives (供) other people things to use them together (共) | 提供tí gōng | Give, supply |
| 债zhài | Debt | 亻+责: (责zé) means responsibilities or blames. A lot of responsibilities and blames from other people(人), hence debts (债) | 债务zhài wù | Debt |
| 健jiàn | Healthy | 亻+建: (建jiàn) means “to build or construct”; therefore, a healthy person (人) is well-built(健) | 健康jiàn kāng | healthy |
| 伙伴huǒ bàn | Friend/buddy | 伴=亻+半, (半bàn) means “half”, two people are the half of each other, hence “friends”. 伙=亻+火，in ancient times people gather around a fire (火huǒ) place to eat together. Therefore, 伙伴is friends who eat together and also share a lot of things with each other | 好伙伴hǎo huǒ bàn | Good buddy |
Do you know any other Chinese characters with “亻”? Share with us below in the comment how you memorize them!
