壬 (rén) · the ninth of the ten Heavenly Stems (天干)

Meanings

1 the ninth of the ten Heavenly Stems (天干)
2 ninth in order; 'I' or 'IX' in lists (A, B, C... or I, II, III...)

Characters

壬

rén

ninth Heavenly Stem

Examples

HSK 3

壬是天干的第九位。

Rén shì tiāngān de dìjiǔ wèi.

Rén is the ninth of the ten Heavenly Stems.

HSK 7-9

今年是壬寅年。

Jīnnián shì rén yín nián.

This year is rényín (a year in the sexagenary cycle).

Tips

culture

壬 is the ninth of the ten 天干 (Heavenly Stems: 甲乙丙丁戊己庚辛壬癸) which combine with the twelve Earthly Branches (地支) to form the 60-year sexagenary cycle still used in Chinese calendars, traditional medicine, and feng shui. In the wuxing (五行) system 壬 is paired with 阳水 'yang water'. In old enumerations it functioned the way 'A, B, C...' or 'I, II, III...' do in English - so 壬 can label item nine in a list.

memory

Three horizontal strokes plus one vertical - easily confused with 王 (wáng, king) and 玉 (yù, jade). Tip: 壬's middle stroke is the longest of the three horizontals; in 王 the bottom stroke is longest. The character on its own is rare outside calendar/list use, so most encounters are in dates like 壬辰、壬午、壬戌.

Components

radical

士 shì

scholar; officer (here graphic body of the shouldered figure)

Below sits 士 - the indexing radical, drawn as a person standing tall (originally an adult male with arms at sides). Together with the slanting stroke above it gives the picture of someone bearing a weight. 壬 is the ninth of the ten Heavenly Stems (天干), traditionally paired with water in the five-elements cycle.

ideograph

丿 piě

left-falling stroke (here marker for the burden being carried)

The top slanting stroke - abstract indicator added above the 士 frame to show a load resting on the shoulders. 壬 originally depicted a person carrying a heavy beam or weaving rod across both shoulders; this opening stroke captures that horizontal burden. Pure positional marker, not a free-standing character.