German word

Mensch

Pronunciation

IPA/mɛnʃ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounhuman being

Example

Jeder Mensch verdient Respekt.

Every human being deserves respect.

Illustration for Mensch (human being)

More examples

Als Mensch lernt man aus Fehlern.

As a human being, one learns from one's mistakes.

Core concept

One individual within the human community, seen as a person among other people.

Common phrases

  • jeder Mensch

    every human being

  • als Mensch

    as a human being

Similar words

Person: An individual referred to in official records or formal contexts.
Leute: A group of people referred to in casual conversation.
Typ: A person referred to loosely in casual spoken language.

Definition in German

Mensch bezeichnet ein Individuum der Gattung Homo, das durch Sprache und soziale Fähigkeiten geprägt ist.

Word origin

Mensch developed from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz, a derivative of *mann- meaning 'person' or 'man', through Old High German mennisco and Middle High German mensche.

Usage tips

  • Mensch has grammatical masculine gender but can refer to a person of any gender, and its plural is Menschen.

Other meanings

  • personnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word