Chinese character for benevolence: 仁 (rén)
The Chinese character for benevolence is 仁 (rén). It means humaneness and kindness toward others and is the central virtue of Confucian thought. It appears in 仁爱 (rén'ài, kindheartedness) and 仁慈 (réncí, merciful).
How 仁 is built
仁 is made of 亻, a person, and 二 (èr), two. The classic explanation is that 仁 is the right way for two people to treat each other: with kindness and humanity. It is also read rén, the same as 人 (person), which helps link it to the idea of being truly human. The character is simple, with only four strokes, and is identical in simplified and traditional Chinese.
仁 rén · benevolent
- 亻rén — person
- 二 — two strokes
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
How 仁 is used
Other ways to say benevolence
- 善 shàn — goodness and kindness in general
Before you use it as a tattoo or design: 仁 is a short, classic virtue character and identical in both scripts; it is best known through Confucian texts.
Questions
What is the Chinese character for benevolence?
仁 (rén) means “benevolence”.
How do you pronounce 仁?
仁 is pronounced rén.