vir
[ˈwɪr]masculine
The English word man is translated into Latin as vir. Wiktionary also lists mās.
Meaning: adult male human (noun)
Ways to say it
| Latin | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| vir | [ˈwɪr] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ˈvir] (narrow) |
masculine |
| mās | masculine |
The term is used to refer to an adult male human.
Which one should you use?
vir specifically refers to a male human, whereas homo refers to a human being regardless of sex. While vir refers to an adult male human, mās is used more broadly to denote the sex of an organism (male vs female).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of vir is virī. When the man is the direct object of a verb, the form changes to virum.
Did you know?
- The English prefix 'were-' as in 'werewolf' comes from the Old English word 'wer', which is a direct relative of the Latin word vir.
- The Roman concept of virtus which is derived from vir meant 'manliness' and was the primary quality expected of a Roman soldier and citizen.
- In Latin literature, using vir instead of homo often signals that the author is emphasizing the subject's courage or maturity rather than their humanity.
Examples in context
- Iam is vir est.He's a man now.This sentence is useful for showing the use of vir to indicate a state of being.Tatoeba #3587517 by soweli_Elepanto, translation #1886944 by Spamster
- Quis est hic vir?Who is that man?This sentence is useful for asking a question about a specific vir.Tatoeba #5194946 by alexmarcelo, translation #67951 by CK
- Vir in culina est.The man is in the kitchen.This sentence is useful for describing the location of a vir.Tatoeba #7077653 by alexmarcelo, translation #4081384 by muriloricci
- Homo RomanusA Roman man
- Homo fortisA strong man or brave person
- Vir summusAn outstanding man
- Vir fortitudinisA man of courage
- Iste homo est amicus meus!That guy is my friend!
- Nonne homo es?Aren't you a man?
- Vir bonusA good man
- Vir sapientissimusA very wise man
- 162 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Marcus are looking at a person in the distance.
- JuliaQuem virum vidēs?Which man do you see?
- MarcusIlle vir magnus est.That man is tall.
- JuliaEstne vir amicus tuus?Is that man your friend?
- MarcusIta, iste vir est amicus meus.Yes, that man is my friend.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “man” translations and entries vir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
