Definitions
(noun)
people; citizens; inhabitants
Etymology
Pictograph of an eye (目) being poked with something sharp. In ancient China, slaves were sometimes punished by blinding them with a sharp object. Based on the original meaning "slave". The meaning later shifted to "common person".
About
The character "民" likely originated from an early pictographic concept representing a blinded eye, symbolizing subjugation and initially denoting enslaved individuals or the common populace. Its structure remains a simple, indivisible form in contemporary usage, often acting as a semantic component in compounds concerning human society. Over time, the meaning shifted from specific reference to subordinate classes to a broader designation for "the people" as a collective, eventually forming part of modern terms such as minzhu (民主) for democracy.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我们是中国人民。
农民在田里工作。
市民们热爱这座城市。
民主制度保障公民权利。
少数民族文化丰富多彩。
民生问题是政府的首要任务。
国民素质决定国家未来。
民营企业是市场经济的重要部分。