Ways to say it
| Hindi | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| इंसान | insān | /ɪn.sɑːn/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| मनुष्य | manuṣya | /mə.nʊʂ.jᵊ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| मानव | mānav | /mɑː.nəʋ/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
| जन | jan | /d͡ʒən/ (Hindi, Standard) | masculine |
These terms are used to specify a human being.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the context of your sentence. इंसान is the most common, everyday word for 'person' or 'human' in spoken Hindi. मनुष्य is a formal, literary term for 'human' typically found in academic, philosophical or scientific contexts. मानव is a formal term often used when discussing 'humanity' or the 'human race'. Finally, जन is a formal term used to refer to 'people' or 'the masses' in a collective sense and frequently appears in compound words.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word इंसान changes to its oblique plural form, इंसानों, when it is followed by a postposition (such as 'of' or 'to').
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is insān. It is pronounced as /ɪn.sɑːn/ and consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word मनुष्य comes from मनु, the name of the first man in Hindu mythology, mirroring the role of 'Adam' in Abrahamic religions.
- While इंसान means 'person', the related word इंसानियत refers specifically to the virtue of kindness and empathy rather than just being human.
- The term जन is almost never used as a standalone word for 'person' but instead acts as a building block for compounds like जनसंख्या for 'population'.
Examples in context
- वह इंसान पागल है।That person is crazy.
- वह एक अच्छा इंसान है।vah ek achha insaan hai.He is a good person.
- इंसान को दयालु होना चाहिए।insaan ko dayalu hona chahiye.A person should be kind.
Example conversation
Vikas and Neha are discussing a new neighbor.
- विकास Vikasक्या वह इंसान ठीक है?kya vah insaan theek hai?Is that person okay?
- नेहा Nehaहाँ, वह बहुत नेक इंसान है।haan, vah bahut nek insaan hai.Yes, he is a very noble person.
- विकास Vikasमुझे उससे मिलकर खुशी हुई।mujhe usse milkar khushi hui.I was happy to meet him.
- नेहा Nehaवह वाकई एक अच्छे इंसान हैं।vah vaakai ek achhe insaan hain.He truly is a good person.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “person” translations and entries इंसान, मनुष्य, मानव, जन, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
