Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Person | /pɛrˈzoːn/ | |
| Mensch | /mɛnʃ/ | masculine |
Person refers to an individual, often in a functional or administrative sense. Mensch is used more broadly to refer to a human being or a person in a more soulful, empathetic or general sense. For general groups of people, you can use the plural noun Leute. If you wish to emphasize the individuality of a person in an academic or formal context, you may use Individuum.
Which one should you use?
Person is a grammatically feminine noun used for more formal, administrative or legal contexts. In contrast, Mensch is a grammatically masculine noun used to refer to a human being or a person in a more general or soulful sense.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Northern Germany, the word Deern is used to refer to a girl or a young woman.
How does it change in a sentence?
Person is a feminine noun. Its plural form is Personen. Mensch is a masculine noun. Its plural form is Menschen.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɛrˈzoːn/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Because Person is a feminine noun, you must use the feminine article die (e.g., die Person). Avoid the mistake of using the masculine article der.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Tom ist ein Mensch.Tom is a person.This sentence demonstrates the use of Mensch to identify a person.Tatoeba #13701830 by Vortarulo, translation #13772075 by rul
- Ich bin eine Person.I'm a person.This sentence shows the use of Person to identify oneself.Tatoeba #1048779 by Esperantostern, translation #433599 by CM
- Wer ist diese Person?Who is that person?This sentence illustrates how to ask about a specific Person.Tatoeba #503366 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #450137 by CK
- Der Mensch ist ein soziales Wesen.Man is a social being.
- Jedes Individuum hat seine eigenen Interessen.Every individual has their own interests.
- Die betreffende Person wird gebeten, sich zu melden.The person in question is asked to come forward.
- Kennst du den Typen, der mir gestern geholfen hat?Do you know the guy who helped me yesterday?
- Die Leute hier sind sehr freundlich.The people here are very friendly.
- Die Personen in diesem Raum sind Experten auf ihrem Gebiet.The individuals in this room are experts in their field.
- 952 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Hannah are talking about a stranger at a party.
- LukasKennst du diese Person dort?Do you know that person there?
- HannahNein, sie ist mir völlig fremd.No, she is a complete stranger to me.
- LukasVielleicht ist sie eine neue Kollegin.Maybe she is a new colleague.
- HannahDas könnte sein, Lukas.That could be, Lukas.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “person” translations and entries Person, Mensch, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Mensch, Person, mensch, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
