Meaning
仁慈
rén cí
Compassion, benevolence
- 仁
- benevolence, humaneness
- 慈
- kindness, compassion
Warm and positive: kindness shown to others.
Compassion in Chinese
The Chinese word for compassion is 仁慈 (rén cí). Warm and positive: kindness shown to others.
仁慈
rén cí
Compassion
What 仁慈 means.
仁 (benevolence) is the central virtue of Confucius' teaching, and 慈 is the loving kindness of a parent. 慈 also stands for compassion in Buddhism, as in 慈悲. We left 悲 out on purpose: alone it means sorrow.
- 仁
- benevolence, humaneness
- 慈
- kindness, compassion
Simplified and traditional
仁慈
仁慈
仁慈 is written the same way in simplified and traditional Chinese, so every Chinese reader recognises it.
Pick the shade of meaning.
Chinese often has more than one word where English has one. Here is how they differ.
Meaning
慈
cí
Compassion
- 慈
- kindness, compassion
The single character, as in the Buddhist ideal of loving kindness.
About compassion in Chinese
How do you write compassion in Chinese?
Compassion is 仁慈 in Chinese, pronounced rén cí. Compassion, benevolence 仁 means “benevolence, humaneness”, 慈 means “kindness, compassion”.
How do you pronounce 仁慈?
Say rén (second tone, rising), cí (second tone, rising). Mandarin tones change meaning, so it is worth listening to a native speaker once.
Is 仁慈 different in traditional Chinese?
No. 仁慈 is written the same way in simplified and traditional Chinese.
What other Chinese words mean compassion?
慈 (cí): Compassion The single character, as in the Buddhist ideal of loving kindness.
Is 仁慈 a good Chinese tattoo?
Yes, it is a real, everyday Chinese word rather than a machine translation, so Chinese readers will understand it. Keep the characters in their order, top to bottom or left to right, and never mirrored. Choose a readable style such as Kaishu, bring a clean reference to your artist, and show it to a fluent reader before your appointment.