<blockquote>
  <p>Google Translate: 人 / rén/ ; 大人 /dàrén/. I don't see the different pinyin for 人</p>
</blockquote>

<p>~</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>CantoDict :   </p>
  
  <p>人/ren2/ </p>
  
  <p><a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/6/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">大人</a> /da4 ren5/2/</p>
  
  <p>(1) adult; grown-up</p>
  
  <p>(2) Your Honour; Your Excellency</p>
  
  <p>(3) [literary] Dear (Father/Mother)</p>
  
  <p>(4) great man; person of high rank or noble mind</p>
  
  <p>Note:</p>
  
  <p><em>1: Pinyin da4 ren5 is used for first two meanings; da4 ren2 for latter two.</em></p>
  
  <p><em>2: "Your Honour" is mainly used on a judge.</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>In Mandarin:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>人 on its own is pronounced as /rén/</p></li>
<li><p>When 大人 meant "adult" or "your Honour" 人 is pronounced as /ren/.</p></li>
<li><p>When 大人 meant "Dear" or "great man" 人 pronounced as /rén/</p></li>
</ul>

<p>So, you only need to remember 人 pronounces differently as /ren/ only when you mean to say 大人(adult) or 大人 (your Honour). In all other instances 人 is pronounced as /rén/</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-08T04:09:34.367Z
2020-02-08T07:37:37.883Z
2020-02-08T07:37:37.883Z
Tang Ho
<p>The pinyin for 人 is rén but when it's part of 大人, it's written as dà ren. This is the only word with 人 where that happens (at least in the list of words I went through). Why is there a change in tone?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-08T16:13:56.783Z
It is known as [Neutral tone](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/pronunciation/Neutral_tone)
范阮煌
<tones>
Why does 人 have a different tone when it's part of the word 大人?
# Why does 人 have a different tone when it's part of the word 大人?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-02-08)

The pinyin for 人 is rén but when it's part of 大人, it's written as dà ren. This is the only word with 人 where that happens (at least in the list of words I went through). Why is there a change in tone?

**Tags:** tones

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It is known as [Neutral tone](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/pronunciation/Neutral_tone)  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-02-08. Score: 1

> Google Translate: 人 / rén/ ; 大人 /dàrén/. I don't see the different pinyin for 人

~

> CantoDict :
>
> 人/ren2/
>
> [大人](http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/6/) /da4 ren5/2/
>
> (1) adult; grown-up
>
> (2) Your Honour; Your Excellency
>
> (3) [literary] Dear (Father/Mother)
>
> (4) great man; person of high rank or noble mind
>
> Note:
>
> *1: Pinyin da4 ren5 is used for first two meanings; da4 ren2 for latter two.*
>
> *2: "Your Honour" is mainly used on a judge.*

In Mandarin:

* 人 on its own is pronounced as /rén/
* When 大人 meant "adult" or "your Honour" 人 is pronounced as /ren/.
* When 大人 meant "Dear" or "great man" 人 pronounced as /rén/

So, you only need to remember 人 pronounces differently as /ren/ only when you mean to say 大人(adult) or 大人 (your Honour). In all other instances 人 is pronounced as /rén/


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