人情

rénqíng

noun HSK 7-9 #7,368

Meanings

1 human feelings
2 social favor
3 human relationships
4 common sense of decency

Characters

feeling; sentiment

Literally 'human feelings' — the social obligations and favors in Chinese relationships

Examples

我欠他一个人情。

Wǒ qiàn tā yīgè rénqíng.

I owe him a favor.

在中国，人情关系非常重要。

Zài Zhōngguó, rénqíng guānxì fēicháng zhòngyào.

In China, personal relationships and social obligations are very important.

他不懂人情世故。

Tā bù dǒng rénqíngshìgù.

He doesn't understand the ways of the world.

Tips

culture

人情 is a core concept in Chinese social life. It refers to the web of social obligations, favors, and face-giving that governs relationships. 欠人情 (owe a favor) and 还人情 (repay a favor) are everyday concepts.

Stroke Order

人 rén

情 qíng