mín
noun #3,887

Meanings

  1. 1 people; citizens; civilian

Examples

Rénmín shì guójiā de zhǔrén.
The people are the masters of the country.
Zhè shì mínjiān gùshi.
This is a folk tale.

Tips

usage
is in many important compounds: 人民 (rénmín, the people), 人民币 (rénmínbì, RMB/Chinese yuan), 民族 (mínzú, ethnic group/nation), 市民 (shìmín, citizen), 民间 (mínjiān, folk/civilian).

Components

pictograph
mín
the common people; populace
Single fused five-stroke graph for 'the people', no longer decomposable into independent components. Indexed under Kangxi #83 (shì) by tradition; no separable -element survives in the modern silhouette. Historically oracle-bone forms showed a sharp instrument piercing an eye — slaves blinded to prevent escape, later broadened to the labouring common people.

Stroke Order

mín