Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
人工réngōng(ren2gong1)
人工 refers to something that is made or created by humans rather than occurring naturally. It commonly refers to artificial items, manual labor, or the workforce involved in various tasks. This term is often used in contexts like technology (artificial intelligence) and labor (manual work).
Frequency#7437DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note
The concept of 人工 is significant in contemporary Chinese society, particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence and the push for modernization in various industries. It reflects China's transition from traditional labor to technology-driven solutions.
Memory Tip
Imagine a factory filled with machines (人工) where people (人) are working hard (工) to create things. The character 人 represents 'person' and 工 represents 'work', reminding you that this term is about human-made efforts.
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
New here?
AI Study Notes for 人工
Quick Contrast
人工 (artificial) vs 自然 (natural) — choose 人工 when emphasizing human-made aspects rather than natural occurrences.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a factory filled with machines (人工) where people (人) are working hard (工) to create things. The character 人 represents 'person' and 工 represents 'work', reminding you that this term is about human-made efforts.
Usage Notes
Be cautious with the tone; it is pronounced 'rén gōng' with the second syllable being high and even, while the first syllable has a rising tone. Common collocations include 人工智能 (artificial intelligence) and 人工成本 (artificial cost). In formal settings, prefer to use this term when discussing technology and labor.
HSK Study Tips
As a HSK Level 6 word, 人工 connects with other terms related to technology and labor. Focus on contexts where you may encounter this term, like discussions on AI or labor markets, to build vocabulary around these themes.
Cultural Note
The concept of 人工 is significant in contemporary Chinese society, particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence and the push for modernization in various industries. It reflects China's transition from traditional labor to technology-driven solutions.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mispronounce 人工 by confusing the tones, saying 'rén gōng' instead of 'rén gōng'. Additionally, they might misuse it in contexts where '自然' (natural) is more appropriate, such as saying '人工的环境' (artificial environment) instead of the correct '自然的环境' (natural environment).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 人工
Premium — Locked
AI tone practice
Pro
Drill the tone of 人工 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
New here? to save your writing progress and earn XP.
Practice writing 人工 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Write correctly 3 times to earn XP
Grammar Patterns of 人工
人工 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
我们这一系列的药草茶不含防腐剂、色素以及____调味品。
Our range of herbal teas contain no preservatives, colourings or artificial flavourings.
Example Sentences for 人工 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我们这一系列的药草茶不含防腐剂、色素以及人工调味品。
wǒ mén zhè yī xì liè de yào cǎo chá bù hán fáng fǔ jì、 、 sè sù yǐ jí rén gōng tiáo wèi。
Our range of herbal teas contain no preservatives, colourings or artificial flavourings.
2
他们中有3个人工作非常好。
tā mén zhōng yǒu3 3 gè rén gōng zuò fēi cháng。
Three of them are working extremely well.
3
她病得很严重，被戴上了人工呼吸器。
tā bìng dé hěn yán zhòng， ， bèi dài shàng le rén gōng hū xī。
She was so ill that she was put on a respirator.
4
有机食品是未使用人工化学制剂和杀虫剂的纯净食品。
yǒu jī shí pǐn shì wèi shǐ yòng rén gōng huà xué zhì jì hé shā chóng jì de chún jìng shí pǐn。
Organic food is unadulterated food produced without artificial chemicals or pesticides.
The artificial sweetener sorbitol has a laxative effect.
10
糖精是一种人工增甜剂. ￡10
táng jīng shì yī zhǒng rén gōng zēng tián jì.￡10
Saccharin is an artificialsweetener.
Cultural Notes for 人工
🏮Cultural insight
The concept of 人工 is significant in contemporary Chinese society, particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence and the push for modernization in various industries. It reflects China's transition from traditional labor to technology-driven solutions.
🌏Cross-cultural Insight
In Western contexts, 'artificial' often carries a negative connotation, whereas in China, advancements in technology like 人工智能 are celebrated and seen as a path to progress.
Frequently Asked Questions about 人工
It generally refers to anything artificial or made by human effort, including manual labor.
Yes, it can refer to the human workforce as well as artificial creations, particularly in technology.
Yes, it is appropriate for both formal and informal contexts, but is more common in discussions about technology.
