Pluraldie MenschenGenitivdes Mensches / des Menschs
Nomen
3 meanings
1derhuman, human being, man
a living being that walks upright, can speak, and is capable of thinking and planning, in contrast to animals
Pl. Menschennur Singular mit Artikel für die ganze Artsingular only with an article when referring to the entire species
Synonyms
Homo sapiensHomo sapiens
Antonyms
Tieranimal
Der Mensch ist ein soziales Wesen.
Man is a social creature.
Die Menschen haben schon vor langer Zeit das Feuer benutzt.
Humans used fire a long time ago.
2derperson, individual, soul
an individual person with their own character; in the singular often equivalent to "someone"
Pl. Menschen
Common phrases
andere Menschenother people
kein Menschnobody
Synonyms
Personperson
Individuumindividual
Sie ist ein sehr freundlicher Mensch.
She is a very friendly person.
Das glaubt dir kein Mensch!
No one will believe you that!
3daswench, hussy, broadregional
a young woman or girl, often meant contemptuously
Pl. Menscherdas Mensch
Synonyms
Weibwoman
Das Mensch geht mir auf die Nerven.
That wench is getting on my nerves.
The word is very common in everyday speech and is often used in the plural. In the singular, it often means "someone" or "no one", especially in negative statements. The form "das Mensch" is regional and sounds derogatory.
der Mensch, des Menschen, die Menschen; weak declension
⚠Remember that in the Dativ and Akkusativ singular, the form is einen Menschen, not "Mensch".
Interjektion
1 meaning
1man, boy, geez, goshumgangssprachlich
an exclamation used to show surprise, annoyance, or shock, or to urge someone to behave sensibly
Synonyms
Mannman
Meine Gütemy goodness
Mensch, hast du mich erschreckt!
Man, you scared me!
Mensch, jetzt hör doch endlich zu!
Man, just listen for once!
People say "Mensch!" in spoken language when they are surprised, annoyed, or startled. It sounds casual and is out of place in formal texts. An exclamation or question often follows.
stands alone or at the beginning of a sentence
How to tell them apart
The noun takes an article or plays a grammatical role in the sentence (der Mensch, Menschen). The interjection stands alone at the beginning of the sentence, usually followed by a comma or exclamation mark.