Mensch
/mɛnʃ/masculine
The English phrase 'human being' is translated into German as Mensch. Wiktionary also lists menschliches Wesen.
Meaning: person (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| menschliches Wesen | neuter | |
| Mensch | /mɛnʃ/ | masculine |
Mensch is the standard word for 'person' used in everyday German. It can also be used to refer to a human being in a biological or philosophical sense.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase menschliches Wesen literally translates to 'human being' (human essence/being).
Which one should you use?
While Mensch is the common word for both 'human being' and 'person', menschliches Wesen is a more formal or philosophical way to express the concept of a human being.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of Mensch is Menschen. In the genitive singular, the form is des Menschen.
How do you pronounce it?
/mɛnʃ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes mistakenly use the adjective menschlich (human/humane) as a noun. However, the correct noun for a human being is Mensch.
Did you know?
- The word Mensch has a direct relative in Yiddish, where the word mentsh is used to describe a person of high integrity and character.
- In the genitive case, the word for 'human being' becomes des Menschen. This reflects a linguistic remnant known as the weak noun declension, where an 'en' is added to the end.
Examples in context
- Ich bin ein Mensch.I am a human being.Tatoeba #2022825 by Tamy, translation #2297306 by Hybrid
- Jeder Mensch ist fehlbar.Every human being is fallible.Tatoeba #10812176 by GaryGaryGary, translation #10812177 by GaryGaryGary
- Du bist ein toller Mensch.You're an amazing human being.Tatoeba #8992863 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #8990214 by CK
- Der Mensch hat viele Talente und Fähigkeiten.The human being has many talents and abilities.
- Jede Person hat das Recht auf freie Meinungsäußerung.Every human being has the right to freedom of expression.
- 40 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas are discussing a difficult situation with a coworker.
- JuliaLukas, sei bitte nicht so streng mit ihm.Lukas, please don't be so hard on him.
- LukasAber er hat einen riesigen Fehler gemacht!But he made a huge mistake!
- JuliaJeder Mensch macht mal einen Fehler.Every human being makes a mistake sometimes.
- LukasDa hast du wohl recht, Julia.I guess you're right, Julia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “human being” translations and entries Mensch, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Mensch, Wesen, mensch, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
