人身

• Pinyin: rén shēn
• Hanzi breakdown: 人 = 人 (person); 身 = 身 (body — pictograph of a pregnant woman; now: body/self)

Meaning

A person's body; one's physical person; personal safety. Used primarily in legal and formal contexts to refer to the physical integrity or liberty of an individual.

Common in legal terms: 人身安全 (personal safety), 人身自由 (personal liberty), 人身伤害 (bodily harm), 人身侵犯 (assault on a person). Distinct from 身体 (the body as a biological entity) — 人身 emphasises the rights and legal dimension.

Examples

1. 宪法明确规定，公民的人身自由不受侵犯，任何非法拘禁或剥夺人身自由的行为均属违法。 The Constitution clearly states that citizens’ personal freedom is inviolable; any illegal detention or deprivation of personal liberty is unlawful.
2. 此次事故造成多名工人不同程度的人身伤害，涉事企业依法被追究相应的民事及刑事责任。 The accident caused varying degrees of bodily injury to multiple workers, and the company involved was held legally accountable under both civil and criminal law.
3. 保护妇女和儿童免受人身侵害是社会各界共同的责任，相关法律的执行力度正在持续加强。 Protecting women and children from physical harm is a shared responsibility across society, and enforcement of relevant laws continues to strengthen.

Usage Guide

Context: law, rights, safety, policy

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 根据劳动安全法规，雇主有义务为员工提供安全的工作环境，切实保障其人身安全不受威胁。(Under occupational safety regulations, employers are obligated to provide a safe working environment for employees, genuinely safeguarding their personal safety from any threat.)
• 该非政府组织长期致力于为流离失所的难民提供庇护和法律援助，以保护其基本人身权利不受侵犯。(This non-governmental organisation has long been committed to providing shelter and legal aid to displaced refugees, protecting their fundamental personal rights from violation.)

Don't Say

• 他的人身很好 — use 他身体很好 or 他身体健康; 人身 refers to legal personhood and physical rights, not general health or physique

Origin & History

人 (person) + 身 (body/self) — the physical self of a person, emphasising rights and integrity

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal