also: じんりょく
human power; human strength; human effort; human agency
Refers to physical or labor-based power exerted by people, as opposed to mechanical, animal, or supernatural force. Often used in contexts like 人力車 (rickshaw) or 人力飛行機 (human-powered aircraft).
That heavy load was carried by human power.
This machine can be operated by human power.
We can't move this rock with human strength alone.
Much of this work still relies on human labor.
人力 means power generated by human effort, whereas 動力 refers to power from mechanical or engine-driven sources.
人力 is power supplied by people, while 馬力 (horsepower) is a unit measuring the power of engines or animals, contrasting with human strength.
人力 refers to physical power or effort exerted by people, while 人為 refers to human action or artificiality, often implying intentional design rather than raw strength.
Standard kanji spelling; the reading じんりょく is more common in modern Japanese.
Alternate reading; somewhat less common but still encountered, especially in older or fixed expressions.
Compound of 人 (human) and 力 (power). The reading じんりょく uses the go-on reading for 力, while じんりき uses the kan-on reading. Both have been used historically, with じんりょく becoming more standard in modern Japanese.