Phrase guide

human being

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌhjuːmən ˈbiːɪŋ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person; a large sapient, bipedal primate, with notably less hair than others of that order, of the species Homo sapiens.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Any member of the genus Homo, including extinct species.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

any living or extinct member of the family Hominidae characterized by superior intelligence, articulate speech, and erect carriage

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: homo, man, human

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: hominid

Narrower terms: world, human race, humanity, humankind, human beings, humans, mankind, man, Homo erectus, Homo soloensis, Homo habilis, Homo sapiens, Neandertal man, Neanderthal man, Neandertal, Neanderthal, Homo sapiens neanderthalensis, Rhodesian man, Homo rhodesiensis

History

Etymology

From human (adjective) + being (noun). The word human was originally an adjective, thus requiring a base noun.

Across languages

Translations

245 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Abkhaz: ауаҩы (awajwə) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Ainu: アイヌ (aynu) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Albanian: njeri — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Southern Altai: кижи (kiži) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Amharic: ሰው (säw) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Arabic: إِنْسَان (ʔinsān) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Arabic: نَاس (nās) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Arabic: بَشَر (bašar) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Arabic: إِنْس (ʔins) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Arabic: بنى آدم (baniʔādam) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Aramaic: אנשא (nāshā) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Aramaic: ܐܢܫܐ (nāshā) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Armenian: մարդ (mard) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Assamese: মানৱ (manow) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Avar: гӏадан (ʻadan) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Avar: инсан (insan) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Avar: чи (či) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Aymara: jaqi — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Azerbaijani: insan — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Azerbaijani: adam — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Azerbaijani: kişi — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Azerbaijani: Adəm oğlu — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Bashkir: кеше (keşe) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Bashkir: әҙәм (əźəm) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Bashkir: инсан (insan) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Belarusian: чалаве́к (čalavjék) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Belarusian: лю́дзі (ljúdzi) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Bengali: মানুষ (manuś) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Bengali: মানব (manob) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Bulgarian: чове́к (čovék) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Bulgarian: хо́ра (hóra) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Bulgarian: лю́де (ljúde) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Burmese: ပုဂ္ဂိုလ် (pugguil) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Burmese: လူ (lu) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Buryat: хүн (xün) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Catalan: ésser humà — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Catalan: humà — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Chechen: стаг (stag) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Chechen: адам (adam) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Chinese Mandarin: 人類 /人类 (rénlèi) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Chinese Mandarin: 人 (rén) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Chuvash: ҫын (śyn) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Chuvash: этем (et̬em) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • West Circassian: цӏыфы (cʼəfə) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Maore Comorian: mwanadamu — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Crimean Tatar: adam — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Crimean Tatar: insan — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Czech: člověk — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Czech: lidé — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Czech: lidská bytost — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Dargwa: адам (adam) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Dargwa: инсан (insan) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Dhivehi: އިންސާނުން (in̊sānun̊) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Egyptian: r:T-A1 (rmṯ) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Esperanto: homo — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Finnish: ihminen — person — see also man/translations, person
  • French: être humain — person — see also man/translations, person
  • French: humain — person — see also man/translations, person
  • French: humaine — person — see also man/translations, person
  • French: homme — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Middle French: estre humain — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Gagauz: insan — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Gagauz: adam — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Gagauz: kişi — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Galician: ser humano — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Georgian: ადამიანი (adamiani) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Georgian: კაცი (ḳaci) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • German: menschliches Wesen — person — see also man/translations, person
  • German: Mensch — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Greenlandic: inuk — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Gujarati: મનુષ્ય (manuṣya) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Gujarati: પુરુષ (puruṣ) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Gujarati: માનવ (mānav) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Hawaiian: kanaka — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Hebrew: אָדָם ('ádam) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Hindi: मनुष्य (manuṣya) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Hindi: इंसान (insān) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Hindi: आदमी (ādmī) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Hindi: मानव (mānav) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Hittite: 𒀭𒌅𒉿𒀪𒄩𒀸 — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Hungarian: ember — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Indonesian: manusia — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Indonesian: orang — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Ingush: саг (sag) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Interlingua: humano — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Interlingua: homine — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Interlingua: persona — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Interlingua: esser human — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Inuktitut: inuk (inuk) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Irish: duine — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Irish: neach daonna — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Japanese: 人間 (ningen) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Japanese: 人類 (jinrui) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Japanese: 人 (hito) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Kalmyk: күн (kün) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Kannada: ಮಾನವ (mānava) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Karachay-Balkar: адам (adam) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Karachay-Balkar: киши (kişi) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Karakalpak: adam — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Karakalpak: kisi — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Karelian: ihmine — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Karelian: mies — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Kashubian: człowiek — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Kazakh: адам (adam) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Kazakh: кісі (kısı) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Khmer: ជគត (ceaʔkʊət) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Khmer: មនុស្ស (mɔnuh) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Khmer: ជន (cɔɔn) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Kikuyu: mũndũ — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Komi-Permyak: морт (mort) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Konkani: मनिषु (maniṣu) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Korean: 사람 (saram) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Korean: 인류 (illyu) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Central Kurdish: ئادەمیزاد (ademîzad) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Northern Kurdish: mirov — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Northern Kurdish: meriv — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Kyrgyz: киши (kişi) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Kyrgyz: адам (adam) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Ladino: אומברי (ombre) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Lak: инсан (insan) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Lak: адимана (adimana) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Lao: ມະນຸດ (ma nut) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Lao: ຄົນ (khon) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Lao: ບຸຣຸດ (bu rut) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Latvian: cilvēks — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Lezgi: инсан (insan) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Lezgi: кас (kas) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Lithuanian: žmogus — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Lushootseed: ʔaciɬtalbixw — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Macedonian: чо́век (čóvek) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Macedonian: лу́ѓе (lúǵe) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Malay: manusia — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Malay: orang — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Malayalam: മനുഷ്യൻ (manuṣyaṉ) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Maltese: bniedem — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Manchu: ᠨᡳᠶᠠᠯᠮᠠ (niyalma) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Māori: tangata — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Marathi: माणूस (māṇūs) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Eastern Mari: айдеме (ajdeme) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Eastern Mari: еҥ (jeŋ) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Central Sierra Miwok: míw·y- — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Moksha: ломань (lomań) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Mongolian: хүн (xün) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Khiamniungan Naga: khèunyòh — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Navajo: bílaʼashdlaʼii — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Occitan: òme — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Old Church Slavonic: чловѣкъ (člověkŭ) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Ossetian: адӕймаг (adæjmag) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Pashto: انسان (insān) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Persian: آدمی (âdami) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Persian: انسان (ensân) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Persian: خاکزاد (xâkzâd) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Plautdietsch: Mensch (nds) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Polish: człowiek — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Polish: istota ludzka — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Portuguese: ser humano — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Portuguese: homem — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Punjabi: ਇਨਸਾਨ (inasān) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Punjabi: ਮਨੁੱਖ (manukkha) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Romani: manuś — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Russian: челове́к (čelovék) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Russian: лю́ди (ljúdi) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Sanskrit: मनुष्य (manuṣya) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Sanskrit: मानव (mānava) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Sanskrit: जन (jana) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Scottish Gaelic: duine — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Serbo-Croatian: čeljade — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Serbo-Croatian: čeljad — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Serbo-Croatian: чо̏век — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Serbo-Croatian: чо̏вјек — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Serbo-Croatian: љу̑ди — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Serbo-Croatian: čȍvek — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Serbo-Croatian: čȍvjek — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Serbo-Croatian: ljȗdi — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Shona: murume — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Shor: кижи (kiji) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Sicilian: omu — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Sicilian: uòmunu — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Sikkimese: སྐྱེས་བུ (skyes bu) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Silesian: čowjek — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Sindhi: اِنسانُ (insānu) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Sinhalese: තැනැත්තා (tænættā) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Sinhalese: මිනිහා (minihā) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Sinhalese: මිනිසා (minisā) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Sinhalese: පුරුෂයා (puruṣayā) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Slovak: človek — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Slovak: ľudia — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Slovak: ľudská bytosť — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Slovene: člôvek — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Slovene: ljudjé — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Somali: dad — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Somali: aadame — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Upper Sorbian: čłowjek — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Sotho: motho — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Spanish: ser humano — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Swahili: mwanadamu — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Swahili: binadamu — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Tagalog: tao — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Tajik: одам (odam) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Tajik: инсон (inson) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Tamil: மனிதன் (maṉitaṉ) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Taos: tʼóyna — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Tashelhit: afgan — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Tatar: кеше (keşe) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Tatar: инсан (insan) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Tatar: адәм (adäm) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Telugu: మనిషి (maniṣi) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Telugu: మగవాడు (magavāḍu) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Thai: คน (kon) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Thai: มนุษย์ (má-nút) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Tibetan: མི། (mi) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Tocharian B: śaumo — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Turkish: insan — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Turkish: insanoğlu — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Turkish: âdemoğlu — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Turkish: kişi — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Turkmen: ynsan — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Turkmen: ynsaan — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Turkmen: adam — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Turkmen: kişi — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Tuvan: кижи (kiji) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Tzotzil: krixchano — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Udmurt: адями (aďami) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Udmurt: мурт (murt) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Ukrainian: люди́на (ljudýna) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Ukrainian: лю́ди (ljúdy) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Urdu: انسان (insān) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Urdu: آدمی (ādmī) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Urdu: منشیه (manuṣya) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Uyghur: ئىنسان (insan) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Uyghur: ئادەم (adem) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Uzbek: odam — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Uzbek: inson — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Uzbek: kishi — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Vietnamese: con người — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Vietnamese: người — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Welsh: dyn — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Wolof: nit — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Yakut: киһи (kihi) — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Yoruba: ènìyàn — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Zulu: umuntu — person — see also man/translations, person
  • Finnish: ihminen — any member of the genus Homo
  • Komi-Permyak: морт (mort) — any member of the genus Homo
  • Norwegian Bokmål: menneske — any member of the genus Homo
  • Polish: człowiek — any member of the genus Homo