Learn Chinese Characters

Meaning

the people; nationality; citizen

Chinese: 人民、民众。

Hear the Four Tones

The same syllable “min” becomes a different word in each tone. 民 is the 2nd tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.

Stroke Order

Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.

Common Words

  • 人民rén mínthe people
  • 公民gōng míncitizen
  • 农民nóng mínpeasant; farmer
  • 民族mín zúnationality; ethnic group
  • 民间mín jiānamong the people; popular; folk; non-governmental

Example Sentence

这首民歌很好听。Zhè shǒu mín gē hěn hǎo tīng.This folk song is very pleasant to hear.

Zhèthisshǒuhead民歌mín gēfolk songhěnvery好听hǎo tīngpleasant to hear

Go deeper

Where this character comes from

An old pictograph (its origin is grim — an eye pierced, said to depict a captive). It long ago came to mean ‘the common people, citizens, folk’ (人民, 民族).

A way to remember it

The people: 人民 (the people), 农民 (farmer).