How to Say "Human Being" in Mandarin

人

rén

The English phrase 'human being' is translated into Mandarin as 人 (rén) or 人类. Wiktionary also lists 人類 / 人类 (rénlèi).

Meaning: person (noun)

Ways to say it

“human being” in Mandarin
Mandarin	Romanization (Wiktionary)
人	rén
人類 / 人类	rénlèi

In most everyday contexts, when you want to say 'a human being' or 'a person', simply use 人.

The term 人类 is composed of 人 (person) and 类 (type/kind/category), which literally translates to 'human kind'.

Use 人类 (rénlèi) when referring to the human race or humanity as a collective species, whereas 人 (rén) is used for an individual person.

The word 人 can function as both a singular 'person' and a plural 'people' depending on the context and accompanying measure words.

rén

In the character 仁, which means 'benevolence', the character 人 is paired with the character for 'heart'.
The character 人 is a pictogram that depicts the side view of a standing person, specifically highlighting an arm and a leg.

我们一定不能忘记每个人的内在价值。
We must never forget the inherent value of every human being.
This sentence is useful for discussing the inherent value of every 人.
Tatoeba #8748584 by cxpadonis, translation #5937798 by mailohilohi
我是人类。
I am a human being.
This sentence is useful for stating that one is a 人.
Tatoeba #13942597 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #2297306 by Hybrid
人类的进步离不开科技的发展。
Human progress cannot be separated from the development of technology.
我是一个普通人。
I am an ordinary person.
他是一个好人。
Tā shì yīgè hǎorén.
He is a good person.
1 more sentence on Tatoeba

Two friends are discussing a coworker at a cafe.

志强 Zhiqiang

那个人看起来很友善。
Nàge rén kàn qǐlái hěn yǒushàn.
That person looks very friendly.
佳怡 Jiayi

是的，他真的是个好人。
Shì de, tā zhēn de shì gè hǎorén.
Yes, he really is a good person.
志强 Zhiqiang

大家都很喜欢他。
Dàjiā dōu hěn xǐhuān tā.
Everyone likes him very much.
佳怡 Jiayi

因为他总是乐于助人。
Yīnwèi tā zǒngshì lèyú zhùrén.
Because he is always happy to help others.

Sources

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏