Meaning of 人士
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- person
- figure
- public figure
How to use 人士
人士 is a formal word used in news, speeches, and writing, usually with a describing word in front, such as 专业人士 (professional) or 知名人士 (well-known figure). Example: 各界人士都参加了会议。(Gèjiè rénshì dōu cānjiā le huìyì.) People from all walks of life attended the meeting.
人 (rén) is a person, and 士 (shì) is a scholar or gentleman. Put them together and you get a person of some standing, a respected figure in society.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 人士 (rénshì) with 人事 (rénshì), which sounds the same but means personnel or human resources matters. Also, do not use 人士 alone for a casual person, like a friend you met. Use 人 or 朋友 instead.
人士 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
人 rén · person · 2 strokes
- 1
- 2
士 shì · scholar · 3 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
Related words
Words that share a character with 人士.
| 女人 | nǚrén | woman |
| 男人 | nánrén | a man; a male |
| 别人 | biérén | other people; others; other person |
| 家人 | jiārén | family member; (old) servant |
| 病人 | bìngrén | sick person; patient |
| 工人 | gōngrén | worker |
| 老人 | lǎorén | old man or woman; the elderly |
| 有人 | yǒu rén | someone; people |
| 人们 | rénmen | people |
| 大人 | dàren | adult; grownup |
| 客人 | kèrén | visitor; guest; customer |
| 好人 | hǎorén | good person; healthy person |
Questions about 人士
What does 人士 mean?
人士 (rénshì) means "person; figure" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 人士?
人士 is made of 2 characters: 人 (2 strokes), 士 (3 strokes). That is 5 strokes in total.
Is 人士 an HSK word?
Yes. 人士 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can I use 人士 to talk about one specific person?
Usually 人士 refers to people in a certain group or role, like 消息人士 (an informed source) or 残疾人士 (people with disabilities). It sounds odd for one ordinary person in casual talk. For a single named person, say 这位先生 or just use their name.
What is the difference between 人士 and 人物?
人物 (rénwù) means a figure or character, often someone important or a character in a story. 人士 describes people by their field or status, like 业内人士 (industry insiders). 人士 is more neutral and formal, while 人物 often stresses importance.