人力(じんりき)

じんりき
noun
human power, manpower
1. human power, manpower, manual labor
Physical power or effort provided by people rather than machines. Refers to tasks accomplished through human effort alone.
人力(じんりき)で運(はこ)んだ。
It was carried by manpower.
機械(きかい)がない時代(じだい)は全(すべ)て人力(じんりき)に頼(たよ)っていた。
In the era before machines, everything relied on human power.
この大(おお)きな石(いし)を人力(じんりき)だけで動(うご)かすのは不可能(ふかのう)に近(ちか)い。
Moving this large stone by human power alone is nearly impossible.

Compound of 人(じん) (person) + 力(りき) (power). Often contrasted with 機械(きかい)の力(ちから) (machine power).

Common collocations

  • 人力(じんりき)で (by manpower, manually)
  • 人力(じんりき)に頼(たよ)る (to rely on human power)
  • 人力(じんりき)車(しゃ) (rickshaw — literally "human-powered vehicle")
  • 人力(じんりき)飛行機(ひこうき) (human-powered aircraft)

Usage

人力(じんりき)車(しゃ) (rickshaw) is a well-known compound. In modern usage, 人力(じんりき) often appears when emphasizing that something is done without mechanical assistance. The word 人手(ひとで) is more common in everyday language when talking about labor or manpower in a workforce sense.

general
Added 2026.2.18 6:39 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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