仁 (rén) - benevolence, humanity, kindness & the Confucian virtue of perfect virtue and goodness

仁Tone 2

rén ｜ 4 strokes ｜ radical: 亻

丰佳

仁 · rén

benevolence, humanity, kindness;

the Confucian virtue of perfect virtue and goodness;

kernel (of fruits)

benevolence, humanity, kindnessthe Confucian virtue of perfect virtue and goodnesskernel (of fruits)

Usage highlights

benevolencebenevolent personbenevolent governmentbenevolent heartConfucian benevolenceapricot kernel

Synonyms

  • 慈— compassion, mercy
  • 爱— love, affection
  • 善— goodness, kindness

Antonyms

  • 恶— evil, wickedness
  • 暴— cruelty, violence
  • 残— brutal, cruel

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He is a benevolent person (仁人).
  • Confucius emphasized benevolence (仁).
  • This is the kernel of the apricot (杏仁).
  • The benevolent government (仁政) cares for the people.

Collocations

  • benevolence(仁爱)
  • benevolent person(仁人)
  • benevolent government(仁政)
  • benevolent heart(仁心)
  • Confucian benevolence(仁德)
  • apricot kernel(杏仁)

Idioms

  • Benevolence and righteousness(仁至义尽)
  • Benevolent government and righteous warfare(仁政义战)
  • Benevolent without being weak(仁而不懦)
  • Benevolence is the characteristic attribute of man(仁者人也)
  • The benevolent are free from anxiety(仁者不忧)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Central virtue in Confucianism, representing the ideal moral character and humaneness.
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, 仁 appears in terms like 杏仁 (apricot kernel), used medicinally.
  • The character combines 'person' (亻) and 'two' (二), suggesting relationships between people.

FAQ