壬 (rén): the ninth of the ten Heavenly S…

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

今年是壬寅年。

Jīnnián shì rén yín nián.

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

壬是天干的第九位。

Rén shì tiān gān de dìjiǔ wèi.

Rén is the ninth of the ten Heavenly Stems.

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.