人身
rén shēn · HSK 7
person
🧍 人身 = 人 (person) + 身 (body): the human body/person
人 rén means person and 身 shēn means body or self, so 人身 literally stacks person + body. Note 身 also sounds like the shēn in 身体 shēntǐ (body), reinforcing the bodily, personal sense.
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.
身 — pictograph of a pregnant body
身 is a pictograph originally depicting a person with a swollen belly, representing a pregnant woman in profile. Over time the meaning broadened from 'pregnancy' or 'torso' to refer to the body in general, and by extension oneself or one's person.