man
/man/
The English phrase 'man' is translated into Afrikaans as man.
The word man refers to an adult male human.
Meaning: adult male human (noun)
Which one should you use?
While man refers specifically to an adult male, the related word mens is used to refer to the human species or a person in a general sense. Additionally, the verb beman means to supply something with a staff or crew.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of man is manne.
How do you pronounce it?
/man/
Did you know?
- In Afrikaans, the word man is also used as a common term for 'husband', similar to how it is used in Dutch.
- In some South African dialects, man is used as a casual filler or exclamation at the end of a sentence, similar to the English 'man!' or 'dude!'
- The word man comes from the Proto-Germanic word *mann-, which originally meant 'human being' regardless of gender.
Examples in context
- Ek is 'n vry man.I'm a free man.This sentence shows how to use man to describe a person's status.Tatoeba #653445 by winterstream, translation #25504 by CK
- Jy is 'n baie gawe man!What a generous man you are!This sentence demonstrates using man to describe a person's character.Tatoeba #13458411 by Pietpetoors, translation #13454404 by EsraaTawfik
- Het jy hierdie man gesien?Have you seen this man?This sentence shows how to use man when identifying a specific person.Tatoeba #758085 by siener, translation #758084 by CK
- Hey ou, hoe gaan dit?Hey dude, how's it going?
- Wat dink jy, boetie?What do you think, bro?
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Stefan and Marelize are talking about a new neighbor.
- StefanDaardie man is nuut in die straat.That man is new in the street.
- MarelizeIs hy 'n vriendelike man?Is he a friendly man?
- StefanJa, hy is 'n baie goeie man.Yes, he is a very good man.
- MarelizeEk sal môre vir hom groet.I will greet him tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “man” translations and entries man, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries man, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
