人 Rén

The Oracle form of 人 was a depiction of a standing person. This pictograph is one of the earliest representations of a human being in Chinese art, and is almost as simple as the character used today. 人 still retains a strong resemblance to a person, although the character has evolved from resembling a standing person to a walking person.

One interpretation of 人 is based on its stroke order: Piě, 撇 (downward left stroke) and Nà, 捺 (downward right stroke). Some believe that the way Piě (撇), and Nà (捺) lean against each other signifies how humans should support and help one another.

person, human being, man, people 人 is a special character, when 人 is used as a radical on the left-side of a character, it is written "亻". For example, 什 (what), 仁 (benevolence), and 化 (transform). The radical form is written this way so it can better fit in a block with other components. You may notice the resemblance between "亻"" and the Oracle form of 人.