人才
réncái · HSK 3
a talented person
🧠 人 (person) + 才 (talent/ability) = a person of talent
人 means person and 才 means talent or ability; together 人才 names someone whose ability marks them out — a capable person or qualified hire. Common in HR contexts: 招聘人才 means recruiting talent.
人 — pictograph of a standing person
人 is a pictograph showing a person viewed from the side, with two strokes representing the legs and torso of a standing human. In oracle bone script it clearly depicted a figure leaning slightly forward. The meaning has remained 'person' or 'human' throughout its history.
才 — single component 才 (one stroke 一 + 亅 + 丿)
才 originally pictured a sprout breaking through the ground, symbolizing budding talent or potential. Over time it came to mean 'talent, ability' and also 'just now,' since a sprout marks a fresh beginning. It is itself a basic component used in characters like 材 and 财.