仁 means “benevolence, humanity”

じん · jin

Also: virtue, charity

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ジン, ニ, ニン

JLPT N1 · Taught in grade 6 · 4 strokes

The story

A person (亻) beside two (二): what passes between two people, the Confucian virtue of humaneness. 仁 is benevolence, and in 仁王, the two fierce guardian kings flanking many temple gates, it is read に.

Used in 仁義 (jingi, humanity and justice/code of honor), 仁愛 (jin'ai, benevolence), and 仁王 (niou, temple guardian kings)

More from Loyalty & Duty

• 貞 chastity
• 慈 mercy
• 衷 innermost feelings
• 義 righteousness
• 善 good
• 孝 filial piety
• 徳 virtue
• 忠 loyalty
• 誠 sincerity
• 倫 ethics

Learn 仁 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.