human
human — adjective
1. relating to people and the things they do, especially when compared or contraste
relating to people and the things they do, especially when compared or contrasted with animals, machines, or nature
The rescue team searched the rubble but found no human remains.
collocation: human remains
Apinya's research focuses on human behaviour in crowded public spaces.
collocation: human behaviour
Every human society has developed some form of music and storytelling.
The crash was caused by human error, not by a technical failure.
Is it possible for a machine to have human thoughts and feelings?
- animal
emphasizes the biological contrast between people and other living creatures
- inhuman
describes behaviour or conditions that seem not to belong to ordinary people
- supernatural
describes forces or beings beyond the physical human world
文法句型
human + noun (human body / human rights)
be + human
用法筆記
This is the most common sense of the adjective. Common fixed collocations include 'human rights', 'human nature', 'human error', 'the human body', and 'the human race'.
常見錯誤
2. describing the natural feelings, faults, and emotional reactions that most peopl
describing the natural feelings, faults, and emotional reactions that most people share, making someone's actions feel understandable rather than blameworthy
It is only human to feel nervous before an important job interview.
fixed expression: it is only human to + infinitive
The judge showed her human side when she reduced the fine for the struggling mother.
collocation: human side
What makes this novel so powerful is its deeply human characters with real flaws.
Inês made a mistake, but her boss saw it as a very human error.
Crying at a funeral is a perfectly human reaction to losing someone you love.
- humane
emphasizes kindness and compassion toward others rather than inner qualities or weaknesses
- imperfect
focuses on flaws and limitations without the sympathetic tone of 'human'
- understandable
describes reactions or mistakes that are easy to sympathize with, but does not carry the sense 'of people as a species'
- inhuman
describes cruelty or coldness that seems to lack ordinary human feelings
- robotic
suggests behaviour that is mechanical and lacks natural emotion
- superhuman
describes abilities or endurance beyond what ordinary people can achieve
文法句型
be + human
it is (only) human to + infinitive
human + noun (human side / human weakness)
用法筆記
Frequently used in the fixed phrase 'it is only human to…' and in evaluative contexts where someone's mistake or reaction is described as understandable rather than blameworthy. Distinguish from sense 1 (HUMAN BEINGS), which is purely descriptive; this sense always carries a sympathetic or forgiving tone.
常見錯誤
3. belonging to the biological group of species that includes modern people togethe
belonging to the biological group of species that includes modern people together with extinct relatives such as Neanderthals
Archaeologists in Kenya discovered human fossils that are over 50,000 years old.
scientific register: human fossils
The museum exhibit traces how early human species spread from Africa to Asia.
collocation: early human species
DNA analysis shows that Neanderthals and modern human groups once mated.
This jawbone is the oldest human remains ever found outside the African continent.
文法句型
human + noun (human fossils / human species)
early / modern / ancient + human + noun
用法筆記
Restricted to scientific or archaeological contexts. This sense is always attributive (before a noun) and typically appears with pre-modifiers such as 'early', 'ancient', or 'modern'. Not used in everyday conversation.
human — noun
1. a living person — a man, woman, or child considered as an individual member of t
a living person — a man, woman, or child considered as an individual member of the human species
Every human has the right to live in safety and with dignity.
quantifier + human: every human
The virus can pass from animals to humans through close contact.
contrast: animals → humans
Shirin treats every single human with the same respect, no matter their background.
As a teacher, Jabari believes that all humans can learn if given a fair chance.
No human should have to live without access to clean drinking water.
- person
the everyday word for an individual; less formal and more natural in most contexts
- individual
emphasizes the person as a separate, unique entity
- human being
a more complete, slightly more formal alternative to 'human'
文法句型
a / the / this / that + human
humans (plural, general)
all humans / every human
用法筆記
Countable noun. At least B1 level, learners should know that 'human' as a noun is slightly more formal or scientific than 'person' in some contexts. In everyday conversation, 'people' or 'person' is more common. 'Humans' (plural) is used for general statements about the species.
常見錯誤
2. an individual belonging to one of the species in the biological group that inclu
an individual belonging to one of the species in the biological group that includes modern people together with extinct relatives such as Neanderthals
Early humans used stone tools for hunting and preparing food.
adjective + human: early humans
The oldest known human lived in Africa around 300,000 years ago.
superlative: the oldest known human
Scientists disagree about when modern humans first left the African continent.
These footprints belong to a human who walked across the mud over 20,000 years ago.
- hominin
the technical scientific term for humans and their direct ancestors, used mainly by specialists
- Homo sapiens
the Latin scientific name for modern humans, very formal and restricted to specialist writing
文法句型
early / modern / ancient + human
human + verb (past tense for extinct groups)
用法筆記
Used in archaeology, anthropology, and palaeontology. When no pre-modifier is used ('a human walked here'), the context must clearly signal the scientific register — otherwise readers will understand sense 1 (PERSON). Frequently appears with 'early', 'modern', 'ancient', or 'archaic' before it.