Singular
der
Mensch
human being, man
Plural: die Menschen
Why does the noun Mensch have the article der?
This noun follows no general suffix rule — its gender is part of the core vocabulary you simply learn alongside the word.
Declension table for German noun Mensch
How it changes across the four cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | der Mensch | ein Mensch | kein Mensch |
| Akkusativ | den Menschen | einen Menschen | keinen Menschen |
| Dativ | dem Menschen | einem Menschen | keinem Menschen |
| Genitiv | des Menschen | eines Menschen | keines Menschen |
| Nominativ | die Menschen | Menschen | keine Menschen |
| Akkusativ | die Menschen | Menschen | keine Menschen |
| Dativ | den Menschen | Menschen | keinen Menschen |
| Genitiv | der Menschen | Menschen | keiner Menschen |
Examples in context
Real sentences using Mensch in different cases.
| Case | Definite | Indefinite | Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominativ | Der junge Mensch lernt viel.The young human learns a lot. | Ein guter Mensch ist hier.A good person is here. | Kein alter Mensch ist allein.No old person is alone. |
| Akkusativ | Ich sehe den alten Menschen.I see the old person. | Er sucht einen guten Menschen.He is looking for a good person. | Ich kenne keinen bösen Menschen.I know no mean person. |
| Dativ | Ich helfe dem armen Menschen.I help the poor person. | Er gibt einem hungrigen Menschen Geld.He gives money to a hungry person. | Wir vertrauen keinem fremden Menschen.We trust no foreign person. |
| Genitiv | Die Würde des einzelnen Menschen ist wichtig.The dignity of the individual human is important. | Das ist das Kind eines armen Menschen.That is the child of a poor person. | Das ist die Hilfe keines fremden Menschen.That is the help of no foreign person. |
| Nominativ | Die neuen Menschen sind freundlich.The new people are friendly. | Viele Menschen leben dort.Many people live there. | Keine fremden Menschen sind dort.No foreign people are there. |
| Akkusativ | Wir rufen die kranken Menschen.We call the sick people. | Sie trifft interessante Menschen.She meets interesting people. | Ich mag keine falschen Menschen.I like no dishonest people. |
| Dativ | Er dankt den guten Menschen.He thanks the good people. | Wir begegnen vielen Menschen.We meet many people. | Ich antworte keinen bösen Menschen.I answer no mean people. |
| Genitiv | Das Leben der alten Menschen ist kurz.The life of the old people is short. | Die Meinung vieler Menschen zählt.The opinion of many people counts. | Das sind die Rechte keiner fremden Menschen.Those are the rights of no foreign people. |
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Frequently asked questions
Everything you might wonder about der, die, das — and the Der Artikel app.
Is it der, die, or das Mensch?
It is der Mensch. In German, every noun has a grammatical gender, and Mensch is masculine. You should always learn the article together with the noun to ensure your German grammar is correct.
What CEFR level is the word Mensch?
The German noun Mensch is categorized as Beginner (A1) vocabulary. It is considered an essential word for learners at this level.
What is the plural of der Mensch?
The plural form of der Mensch is die Menschen. In German, regardless of the singular gender, all plural nouns use the definite article “die.”
What does der Mensch mean in English?
The German word der Mensch translates to “human being, man” in English.
How do you decline der Mensch?
Like all German nouns, Mensch changes its article depending on the case. In the singular, the forms are:
- Nominativ: der Mensch
- Akkusativ: den Menschen
- Dativ: dem Menschen
- Genitiv: des Menschen
These changes are necessary because German uses cases to indicate the noun’s role in a sentence (such as the subject or object). Knowing these forms allows you to build grammatically correct sentences.
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