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人选 (rén xuǎn) — candidate; choice of person

Definition

Both 人选 and 候选人 mean 'candidate', but 人选 emphasizes the chosen or suitable person for a role, while 候选人 is broader — anyone who could potentially be picked.

noun
candidatechoice of person
Measure word · 个
Easily confused

Examples

  • 人选，。
    Zhè ge rén xuǎn hěn hé shì, wǒ men jué dìng lù yòng tā.
    This candidate is very suitable; we've decided to hire him.
  • 人选。
    Gōng sī zhèng zài cóng nèi bù xuǎn bá rén xuǎn.
    The company is selecting candidates from within.
  • 人选，。
    Zhè cì zhāo pìn de rén xuǎn hěn duō, jìng zhēng jī liè.
    There are many candidates for this recruitment, and the competition is fierce.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

人rénperson
选xuǎnchoose

Combines 人 and 选 to mean a person who has been selected or chosen.

Characters in this word

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 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 選; 选 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
止止zhǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
巽
巽xùn選xuǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 選 combines 止 with 巽, which gives the sound xùn; its sense of choosing is explained as rejecting or sending someone back. Simplified 选 is a shorthand.

Open 选 →
Appears in
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