人影

rényǐng

noun #16,059

Meanings

1 the shadow of a human figure
2 a trace of a person's presence (usually with negative verbs)

Characters

shadow; image; reflection

Examples

街上连个人影都没有。

Jiēshàng lián gèrén yǐng dōu méiyǒu.

There wasn't even a shadow of a person on the street.

我到处找他，连人影都见不着。

Wǒ dàochù zhǎo tā, lián rényǐng dōu jiàn bu zháo.

I looked for him everywhere but couldn't find a trace of him.

Tips

grammar

人影 is almost always used with negative constructions: 连个人影都没有 (not even a shadow of a person), 不见人影 (no sign of anyone). Using it in positive sentences is unusual.

Stroke Order

人 rén

影 yǐng