人民

Chinese

		man; person; people	the people; nationality; citizen
simp. and trad. (人民)		人	民
anagram		民人

Etymology

Attestable in pre-Qin texts as a term meaning "common people". Modern sense first attested in An English and Chinese dictionary published in 1884 by W. Lobscheid.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): rénmín

  (Zhuyin): ㄖㄣˊ ㄇㄧㄣˊ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): ren² min²

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): жынмин (řɨnmin, I-I)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): jan⁴ man⁴

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): ngin³ min³

• Gan (Wiktionary): liin⁴ min⁴
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): ngìn-mìn

  (Meixian, Guangdong): ngin² min²

• Jin (Wiktionary): zeng¹ ming¹
• Northern Min (KCR): nêng-měng
• Eastern Min (BUC): ìng-mìng
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): zing² ming²
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): lîn-bîn / jîn-bîn

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ring⁵ ming⁵ / nang⁵ ming⁵

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶zen-min₆
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): ren² min²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: rénmín
    • Zhuyin: ㄖㄣˊ ㄇㄧㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: rénmín
    • Wade–Giles: jên²-min²
    • Yale: rén-mín
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: renmin
    • Palladius: жэньминь (žɛnʹminʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʐən³⁵ min³⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: ren² min²
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: rhenmin
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /zən²¹ min²¹/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: жынмин (řɨnmin, I-I)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʐəŋ²⁴ miŋ²⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: jan⁴ man⁴
    • Yale: yàhn màhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jan⁴ man⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: yen⁴ men⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐn²¹ mɐn²¹/
    • Homophones:

      edit edit 人文 人民

  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: ngin³ min³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ᵑɡin²² ᵐbin²²/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: liin⁴ min⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɨn³⁵ min³⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ngìn-mìn
    • Hakka Romanization System: ngin^ˇ min^ˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ngin² min²
    • Sinological IPA: /ŋin¹¹ min¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: ngin² min²
    • Sinological IPA: /ŋin¹¹ min¹¹/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: zeng¹ ming¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /t͡səŋ¹¹ miŋ¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: nêng-měng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /neiŋ³³ meiŋ²¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: ìng-mìng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /iŋ⁵³⁻³³ miŋ⁵³/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian, Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: zing² ming² [Phonetic: zing⁵ ming²]
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siŋ¹³⁻²¹ miŋ¹³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Jinjiang, Philippines)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lîn-bîn
    • Tâi-lô: lîn-bîn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: linbiin
    • IPA (Taipei): /lin²⁴⁻¹¹ bin²⁴/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines): /lin²⁴⁻²² bin²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: jîn-bîn
    • Tâi-lô: jîn-bîn
    • Phofsit Daibuun: jinbiin
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /zin²³⁻³³ bin²³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /d͡zin¹³⁻²² bin¹³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: ring⁵ ming⁵ / nang⁵ ming⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: jîng mîng / nâng mîng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /d͡ziŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ miŋ⁵⁵/, /naŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ miŋ⁵⁵/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶zen-min₆
    • MiniDict: zen^去 min^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³zen-min₃
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /zən²² min⁴⁴/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: ren² min²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʐən¹³ min¹³/

---

• Middle Chinese: nyin mjin

Rime
Character	人	民
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	日 (38)	明 (4)
Final (韻)	眞 (43)	眞 (43)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	如鄰切	彌鄰切
Baxter	nyin	mjin
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ȵiɪn/	/miɪn/
Pan Wuyun	/ȵin/	/min/
Shao Rongfen	/ȵʑjen/	/mjen/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ȵin/	/min/
Li Rong	/ȵiĕn/	/miĕn/
Wang Li	/ȵʑĭĕn/	/mĭĕn/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ȵʑi̯ĕn/	/mi̯ĕn/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	rén	mín
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jan4	man4

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*ni[ŋ]  mi[ŋ]/

  (Zhengzhang): /*njin  min/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	人	民
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	rén	mín
Middle Chinese	‹ nyin ›	‹ mjin ›
Old Chinese	/*ni[ŋ]/	/*mi[ŋ]/
English	(other) person	people
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	人	民
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	10800	9130
Phonetic component	人	民
Rime group	眞	眞
Rime subdivision	1	1
Corresponding MC rime	仁	民
Old Chinese	/*njin/	/*min/

Noun

人民

1. people (collectively, as members of society)

   熱愛人民／热爱人民  ―  rè'ài rénmín  ―  to love the people

   人民民主專政／人民民主专政  ―  rénmín mínzhǔ zhuānzhèng  ―  people's democratic dictatorship

   全過程人民民主／全过程人民民主  ―  quán guòchéng rénmín mínzhǔ  ―  whole-process people's democracy

   人民生活步步高  ―  rénmín shēnghuó bùbùgāo  ―  the lives of the people improve step by step

   科技應為人民利益服務。 [MSC, trad.]
   科技应为人民利益服务。 [MSC, simp.]

   Kējì yīng wèi rénmín lìyì fúwù. [Pinyin]

   Science and technology should work for the good of the people.

   中國人民政治協商會議 [MSC, trad.]
   中国人民政治协商会议 [MSC, simp.]

   Zhōngguó rénmín zhèngzhì xiéshāng huìyì [Pinyin]

   Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference

   • 孟子曰：「諸侯之寶三：土地、人民、政事。寶珠玉者，殃必及身。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     孟子曰：「诸侯之宝三：土地、人民、政事。宝珠玉者，殃必及身。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE

     Mèngzǐ yuē: “Zhūhóu zhī bǎo sān: tǔdì, rénmín, zhèngshì. Bǎo zhūyù zhě, yāng bì jíshēn.” [Pinyin]

     Mencius said, 'The precious things of a prince are three: the territory, the people, the government and its business. If one value as most precious pearls and jade, calamity is sure to befall him.'

2. humanity; humans (as a collective); humankind; the human race

Usage notes

人民 (rénmín) can only refer to people collectively, as a unit. To refer to people as individually countable persons, use 人 (rén). To refer to people in an otherwise general sense, use 人們／人们 (rénmen).

Synonyms

• (people):

edit

• 一般人 (yībānrén)
• 世人 (shìrén)
• 世間人 / 世间人 (Hokkien)
• 人士 (rénshì) (literary)
• 人群 (rénqún)
• 人萌 (rénméng) (literary)
• 俗人 (súrén)
• 俗子 (súzǐ) (literary)
• 𫣆人 (Hakka)
• 兆民 (zhàomín) (archaic)
• 公眾 / 公众 (gōngzhòng)
• 凡人 (fánrén)
• 凡夫 (fánfū) (literary)
• 匹夫 (pǐfū) (literary)
• 四眾人 / 四众人 (si³ zing³ nang⁵) (Teochew)
• 士人 (shìrén) (archaic)
• 大眾 / 大众 (dàzhòng)
• 子民 (zǐmín) (historical)
• 家人 (jiārén) (archaic)
• 布衣 (bùyī) (historical)
• 常人 (chángrén)
• 平人 (píngrén) (literary)
• 平常人 (píngchángrén)
• 平民 (píngmín)
• 庶人 (shùrén) (literary)
• 庶民 (shùmín) (literary)
• 斯人 (sīrén) (Classical Chinese)
• 普通人 (pǔtōngrén)
• 民人 (mínrén) (literary)
• 民眾 / 民众 (mínzhòng)
• 烝民 (zhēngmín) (literary)
• 烝黎 (zhēnglí) (Classical Chinese)
• 白衣 (báiyī) (historical)
• 白衣人 (báiyīrén) (historical)
• 白身 (báishēn) (archaic)
• 白身人 (báishēnrén) (archaic)
• 百姓
• 眾人 / 众人 (zhòngrén) (literary)
• 萬姓 / 万姓 (wànxìng) (archaic)
• 群眾 / 群众 (qúnzhòng)
• 老百姓 (lǎobǎixìng)
• 良人 (liángrén) (literary)
• 草民 (cǎomín) (the worthless ordinary people)
• 草菅 (cǎojiān) (Classical Chinese, figurative)
• 草野 (cǎoyě) (literary, figurative)
• 萌 (literary)
• 野人 (yěrén) (archaic)
• 黎庶 (líshù) (literary)
• 黎民 (límín) (literary)
• 黎首 (líshǒu) (archaic)
• 黔首 (qiánshǒu) (archaic)
• 黔黎 (archaic)

 

• (humanity): 人類／人类 (rénlèi)

Derived terms

• 中國人民解放軍 / 中国人民解放军 (Zhōngguó Rénmín Jiěfàngjūn)
• 人民代表 (rénmín dàibiǎo)
• 人民內部矛盾 / 人民内部矛盾 (rénmín nèibù máodùn)
• 人民公社 (rénmín gōngshè)
• 人民共和國 / 人民共和国 (rénmín gònghéguó)
• 人民團體 / 人民团体 (rénmín tuántǐ)
• 人民幣 / 人民币 (rénmínbì)
• 人民性 (rénmínxìng)
• 人民戰爭 / 人民战争 (rénmín zhànzhēng)
• 人民政府 (rénmín zhèngfǔ)
• 人民檢察院 / 人民检察院 (rénmín jiǎncháyuàn)
• 人民警察 (rénmín jǐngchá)
• 傷害14億人民感情 / 伤害14亿人民感情 (shānghài shísì yì rénmín gǎnqíng)
• 傷害中國人民的感情 / 伤害中国人民的感情 (shānghài Zhōngguó rénmín de gǎnqíng)
• 勞動人民 / 劳动人民 (láodòng rénmín)

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (人民):

• → Japanese: 人民(じんみん) (jinmin)
• → Korean: 인민(人民) (inmin)
• → Vietnamese: nhân dân (人民)

Others:

• → Manchu: ᠨᡳᠶ᠋ᠠᠯᠮᠠ
  ᡳᡵᡤᡝᠨ (niyalma irgen) (calque)
• → Zhuang: yinzminz

See also

• 人口 (rénkǒu)
• 人類／人类 (rénlèi)
• 人們／人们 (rénmen)
• 人士 (rénshì)
• 人員／人员 (rényuán)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
人	民
じん Grade: 1	みん Grade: 4
on'yomi

Etymology

From Middle Chinese compound 人民 (MC nyin mjin). Compare modern Mandarin 人民 (rénmín), Wu 人民 (⁶zen-min₆), Min Nan 人民 (jîn-bîn).

Formerly pronounced with a consistent 呉音 (goon) reading of ninmin, later changing to a mixed 漢音 (kan'on) / 呉音 (goon) reading of jinmin.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) じんみん [jìńmíꜜǹ] (Nakadaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [d͡ʑĩmʲːĩɴ]

Noun

人(じん)民(みん) • (jinmin) 

1. the people, the general public, the citizens

Synonyms

• (people of a nation): 国民(こくみん) (kokumin)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 人民委員(じんみんいいん) (jinmin iin): commissar (of the former Soviet Union)
• 人民委員会(じんみんいいんかい) (jinmin iinkai): commissariat (of the former Soviet Union)
• 人民解放軍(じんみんかいほうぐん) (Jinmin Kaihō Gun): the People's Liberation Army (PLA) (of China)
• 人民憲章(じんみんけんしょう) (Jinmin Kenshō): the People's Charter (as established in 1838 in the UK)
• 人民公社(じんみんこうしゃ) (jinmin kōsha): a people's commune (in China)
• 人民裁判(じんみんさいばん) (jinmin saiban): a people's court
• 人民主義(じんみんしゅぎ) (jinmin shugi): populism
• 人民主権(じんみんしゅけん) (jinmin shuken): popular sovereignty, the idea that sovereignty resides in the people
• 人民戦線(じんみんせんせん) (jinmin sensen): a popular front (as in the name of a group or organization)
• 人民大会堂(じんみんだいかいどう) (Jinmin Dai Kaidō): the Great Hall of the People (in Beijing)
• 人民投票(じんみんとうひょう) (jinmin tōhyō): a national referendum, a vote by the people of a nation
• 人民日報(じんみんにっぽう) (Jinmin Nippō): the People's Daily, the state media of Beijing
• 人民服(じんみんふく) (jinmin fuku): the “people's clothes” → a Mao suit
• 人民民主主義(じんみんみんしゅしゅぎ) (jinmin minshushugi): people's democracy

Korean

Hanja in this term
人	民

Noun

人民 • (inmin) (hangeul 인민)

1. hanja form^? of 인민 (“the people (of a country), citizens”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
人	民

Noun

人民

1. chữ Hán form of nhân dân (“people”).