Learn a Chinese Character - 民

1. Character Basics

Radical: \u0022\u6c11\u8272\u90e8\u5934\u0022 (The character itself is a radical, representing people or populace)

Stroke Count: 5 strokes

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: mín (Second tone)

3. Meaning

People; populace; citizens; nation; ethnic group; civilian; folk; common people

4. Common Words

• \u0022\u6c11\u65cf\u0022 (mín zú) - Ethnic group; nationality
• \u0022\u6c11\u6c49\u0022 (mín zú) - The Chinese nation
• \u0022\u6c11\u5b9e\u0022 (mín shí) - Democratic practice; people's livelihood
• \u0022\u6c11\u653f\u0022 (mín zhèng) - Civil administration
• \u0022\u6c11\u670d\u0022 (mín fú) - Public welfare; people's welfare
• \u0022\u6c11\u4e3b\u0022 (mín zhǔ) - Democracy
• \u0022\u6c11\u751f\u0022 (mín shēng) - People's livelihood
• \u0022\u6c11\u5b89\u0022 (mín ān) - Social stability; people's security

5. Grammar & Usage

The character \u0022\u6c11\u0022 is primarily a noun or nominal morpheme meaning "people" or "populace". It is often used in compound words rather than alone.

• As a noun: Refers to the general population or common people
• In compound words: Forms terms related to people, nation, or democracy (e.g., \u0022\u6c11\u4e3b\u0022 democracy)
• In political contexts: Used in terms like \u0022\u4eba\u6c11\u0022 (the people) or \u0022\u6c11\u653f\u0022 (civil administration)
• In social terms: Forms words related to people's welfare (\u0022\u6c11\u670d\u0022), livelihood (\u0022\u6c11\u751f\u0022), or security (\u0022\u6c11\u5b89\u0022)
• In literary or formal contexts: Can be used poetically to refer to the masses

6. Cultural Background

The character \u0022\u6c11\u0022 holds significant cultural and political importance in Chinese civilization. It has deep roots in ancient Chinese philosophy and governance concepts.

In traditional Chinese thought, the concept of \u0022\u6c11\u0022 (people) was central to political philosophy, with ideas like \u0022\u6c11\u4e3a\u672c\u0022 (people as the foundation) emphasizing the importance of the populace in maintaining a stable society. This idea influenced Chinese political theory for millennia and continues to shape modern Chinese governance.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character \u0022\u6c11\u0022 has 5 strokes. It originally depicted a figure of a person with their eyes closed, symbolizing the common people or civilians.

To remember this character:

• Notice its shape resembles a person bending forward, which can remind you of working people
• Associate it with the concept of "people" - one of the most fundamental units of society
• Connect it with common phrases you know like \u0022\u6c11\u4e3b\u0022 (democracy) or \u0022\u6c11\u751f\u0022 (people's livelihood)