行人 (xíngrén) literally combines 行 (xíng), meaning 'to walk' or 'to go', and 人 (rén), meaning 'person'. Together, they form a compound noun meaning 'pedestrian'—a person traveling on foot in streets, sidewalks, or crosswalks. This term is neutral and widely used in everyday speech, official signage, traffic regulations, and news reports.

Unlike more general terms like 人 (rén, 'person'), 行人 specifically highlights movement on foot within urban or road-related contexts. It’s commonly found in safety warnings (e.g., '注意行人'), legal definitions (e.g., '行人优先'), and public announcements. While it can occasionally appear in literary or poetic usage to evoke solitude or urban anonymity, its primary function remains practical and descriptive in modern Mandarin.