仁 rén benevolent
benevolent; humane; kind
How to remember 仁: 亻 person + 二 two = benevolent. A person on the park bench sees two kids fight over one swing and hangs up a second one, calm and benevolent.
Component breakdown
仁 = 亻 person + 二 two
- 亻 person
- 二 two
A person on the park bench sees two kids fight over one swing and hangs up a second one, calm and benevolent.
How it is used
- The core Confucian virtue: benevolence/humaneness - 仁慈 (réncí) kind, 仁爱 (rén'ài) compassion, 仁义 (rényì) kindness and honor.
- Also, by pun/extension, the kernel inside a shell - 杏仁 (xìngrén) almond, 花生仁 (huāshēngrén) peanut kernel.
- The virtue sense is elevated/classical; the 'kernel' sense is everyday food vocabulary.