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为人 (wéi rén) — (verb) to conduct oneself; to behave (in terms of character); (noun) personal character; conduct; the way one is as a person

Definition

为人 (wéi rén) refers to a person's overall character and how they conduct themselves — closer to 品德 than to specific actions. Unlike 行为 (actions) or 举止 (visible manner), it points to inner moral character.

verb
to conduct oneselfto behave (in terms of character)
noun
personal characterconductthe way one is as a person

Examples

  • 为人，。
    Tā wéi rén hěn chéng shí, dà jiā dōu hěn xìn rèn tā.
    He conducts himself honestly, so everyone trusts him.
  • 为人，。
    Wǒ liǎo jiě tā de wéi rén, tā bú huì zuò huài shì.
    I know his character; he wouldn't do bad things.
  • 为人，。
    Tā wéi rén shàn liáng, duì shuí dōu hěn yǒu hǎo.
    She is kind in nature and is friendly to everyone.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

为wèido
人rénperson

为 means to act, and 人 is a person, so 为人 is how one acts as a person.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 為; 为 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 為 showed a hand holding an elephant; the simplified 为 is a later shorthand.

Open 为 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Personality & Traits

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