Explore each form from the oldest known stage to today.
The character 人 depicts a person in profile, originally showing a standing human figure with arms and legs. In ancient oracle bone script, it appeared as a side-view of a kneeling or standing person. Over centuries, the character simplified to its current form - two strokes representing a person's legs and upper body. The character means 'person' or 'human being' and forms the basis for many compound characters related to people. Arrived in Japan: The character 人 arrived in Japan during the 5th-6th centuries CE, introduced alongside Chinese writing systems through cultural exchange with Korea and China. It was adopted into Japanese as 'hito' (person) and became part of both the kanji writing system and Japanese vocabulary.