The word 人力 (rénlì) is a compound noun formed by combining the character 人 (rén), meaning "person" or "human", with the character 力 (lì), meaning "strength", "power", or "effort". It follows a common grammatical structure in Mandarin known as a modifier-head or endocentric compound, where the first character modifies or specifies the second. Literally, it translates to "human power" or "manpower", and by semantic extension, it has come to mean "human resources", "manpower", or "labor force", conceptually grouping the physical and intellectual effort of people into a single, collective resource. This formation is analogous to English compounds like "workforce", where two independent concepts merge to create a specific, integrated meaning.