人物
rénwù · HSK 5
person
🧑 人 (person) + 物 (thing) = a 'person-thing' = a character or figure
Compound of 人 rén (person) and 物 wù (thing/being). Together they name a notable person — a character in a story, a public figure, or someone with distinct personality.
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.