路人

• Pinyin: lù rén
• Hanzi breakdown: 路 = 足 + 各 (road, path); 人 = person — a person on the road, i.e., a stranger

Meaning

Passerby; a stranger on the street. Refers to someone with no personal connection to the speaker or a given situation.

Used both literally (someone walking by) and figuratively to describe being treated as a stranger or outsider. 路人甲 is a humorous internet term for 'Random Bystander A,' borrowed from film script conventions.

Examples

1. 他在人群中四处张望，却只见到一张张陌生的路人面孔，没有一个认识的人。 He looked around through the crowd, but saw only unfamiliar faces—no one he knew.
2. 这件事与他毫无关系，他不过是一个偶然经过的路人，却被卷入了这场纠纷之中。 This had nothing to do with him. He was just a passerby who happened to go by, yet he got dragged into the dispute.
3. 事故发生后，几名热心路人立即上前协助伤者，并拨打了急救电话。 After the accident, several helpful passersby immediately went over to assist the injured and called for an ambulance.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, social, internet culture

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 她和那个人素昧平生，在他眼中不过是一个普通路人。(She had never met that person before and was nothing more than an ordinary stranger in his eyes.)
• 围观的路人越来越多，现场秩序开始变得混乱。(More and more bystanders gathered to watch, and order at the scene began to deteriorate.)

Don't Say

• 将路人用于熟人或朋友 — 路人 implies zero relationship or connection; using it for acquaintances would be insulting or awkward; use 陌生人 for 'stranger' in neutral contexts

Origin & History

路 (road) + 人 (person) — a person encountered on the road; a stranger

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal