Level 1 · word 277 of 20,000

person

/ˈpɜːrsən/ American
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  • n. 人, 个人
Definition
  • n. a human being, considered as an individual
Example
She is the kindest person I have ever met.
她是我见过最善良的人。
Word mapPeople
Word familyperson-

Synonyms & Differences 近义词辨析

Compared meaning: a human being (noun).

比较义项:人,人类个体(名词)。

  • individual

    Treats a person as a single unit set apart from a group, favoring formal, legal, or statistical contexts over casual speech.

    强调把某人当作与群体分开的单独个体看待,常见于正式、统计或法律语境,而非日常口语。

    The contract holds each individual liable for their own debts.

    合同规定,每一个人都要对自己的债务负责。

  • person 本词

    The plain, all-purpose word for a human being, used in ordinary everyday speech without special formality or focus on mortality.

    这是指人的最普通、通用的说法,可以用于各种日常语境,没有特殊的正式感,也不强调死亡。

    There's a person waiting outside the door for you.

    外面有个人在等你出去见他。

  • mortal

    Stresses that a human being will eventually die, typically used in literary, philosophical, or humorous writing contrasting humans with gods or immortals.

    强调人终有一死,常用于文学、哲理或幽默的语境,用来把人类和神明或不朽者进行对比。

    In the myth, the goddess fell in love with a mortal and faced tragic consequences.

    在这个神话故事里,女神爱上了一个凡人,因此不得不承受后果。

All three can mean 'a human being'. Individual sets a person apart from a group, in formal use. Person is the plain, everyday word for a human. Mortal stresses that a human will die, in literary writing. Not covered: individual as 'single', mortal as 'deadly'.

这三个词在表示“人、人类个体”时容易混淆:individual强调把某人从群体中单独拿出来看待,语气较为正式;person是最普通、中性的说法,日常最常用;mortal强调人终有一死,带文学或哲理色彩,很少用于普通场合。这里不比较individual作形容词表示“单独的,个别的”的用法,也不比较mortal作形容词表示“致命的”的用法。