humans
humans — noun
1. more than one man, woman, or child, especially when thought of as a group that i
more than one man, woman, or child, especially when thought of as a group that is different from animals or machines.
Most humans need about eight hours of sleep every night.
subject of a general statement about people
Daichi believes that dogs understand humans better than we think.
object after a verb of perception
The robots in the film could not tell humans apart from other robots.
Bears usually keep away from humans unless they are very hungry.
Nia studies how humans behaved thousands of years ago.
- people
more everyday; used in almost any context
- human beings
more formal; common in writing and scientific contexts
- persons
very formal or legal; rare in spoken English
文法句型
plural noun
用法筆記
Plural form of the noun 'human'. Often used in contrast with animals, machines, or imagined non-human beings to highlight what people share as a species.
常見錯誤
2. members of the biological group Homo, which includes modern people and their clo
members of the biological group Homo, which includes modern people and their close extinct relatives, studied in fields like anthropology and evolution.
Modern humans first appeared in Africa around 300,000 years ago.
scientific subject of an evolutionary statement
Vivek's lab compares the DNA of humans with that of other great apes.
object in a scientific comparison
Early humans learned to control fire long before they built villages.
Some scientists argue that humans and Neanderthals once lived side by side.
- Homo sapiens
the formal scientific name; treated as singular or uncountable
- hominins
broader scientific group that also includes extinct ancestors
文法句型
plural noun
用法筆記
Used in scientific and educational contexts where the focus is on Homo sapiens as a biological species. Distinguish from sense 1, where the focus is on people as a social or moral group rather than as a species.
常見錯誤
humans — adjective
1. connected with people, or belonging to people, especially when set against anima
connected with people, or belonging to people, especially when set against animals, machines, or natural forces.
Élise studies the human brain and how it stores memories.
attributive: human + body part / organ
The fire was caused by human error, not by faulty wiring.
collocation: human error
Many old paintings show animals dressed in human clothes.
Theo argues that no machine can fully replace human contact.
- personal
narrower; about one individual rather than people in general
- animal
the usual contrast in biology and everyday speech
- mechanical
contrast in technology contexts
文法句型
human + noun
be + human
用法筆記
Frequently appears in fixed collocations such as 'human body', 'human nature', 'human error', and 'human rights'. Used both before nouns and after 'be' (e.g. 'we are only human').
常見錯誤
2. having the kinds of feelings, weaknesses, and reactions that ordinary people hav
having the kinds of feelings, weaknesses, and reactions that ordinary people have, rather than being perfect, cold, or machine-like.
Lara apologised, saying that losing her temper was only human.
predicative: only human, after a fault
After two months in the role, the new manager started to seem more human.
predicative: become more human (less cold)
Cyrus loves the film because the robot slowly develops human feelings.
It is very human to feel nervous before speaking in front of a crowd.
- humane
stronger; focuses on kindness and mercy, especially toward those who suffer
- compassionate
more formal; emphasises feeling for others' pain
文法句型
be + human
very human + noun
用法筆記
Often appears in 'only human' to forgive a mistake, and 'more human' to describe someone becoming warmer or less distant. Distinguish from sense 1: here the focus is on emotional qualities, not on the biological category.
常見錯誤
3. belonging to the scientific group Homo, used in biology and anthropology to talk
belonging to the scientific group Homo, used in biology and anthropology to talk about modern people and their close extinct relatives.
Putri's textbook shows how human ancestors slowly developed larger brains.
attributive: human ancestors (evolutionary)
The cave held the oldest human bones ever found in that region.
attributive: human bones (anthropology)
Yuna's team studies how human populations spread out of Africa.
Scientists can now read parts of the human genome in only a few hours.
- hominin
technical; covers Homo plus close extinct ancestors
- non-human
scientific contrast, especially with other primates
文法句型
human + scientific noun
用法筆記
Restricted to scientific contexts (biology, archaeology, genetics). Distinguish from sense 1: here the focus is on Homo as a biological category, not on everyday people-versus-animal contrasts.