人类 rénlèi humanity
humanity; human race; mankind
How to remember 人类: 人 person + 类 category = humanity.
Characters
How it is used
- Humankind as a species - 人类历史 (rénlèi lìshǐ) human history; 人类文明 (rénlèi wénmíng) human civilization.
- Scientific/philosophical scope, contrasting humans with animals or nature; distinct from 人民 (the people, political) and 人们 (people, folks).
- Grand register, common in documentaries, science, and big-picture writing.
Example sentences
- 科学使人类进步。 Kēxué shǐ rénlèi jìnbù.Science has advanced the human race.
- 人类已经进入21世纪。 Rénlèi yǐjing jìnrù èrshíyī shìjì.Mankind has entered the twenty first century.
- 节约能源关系到全人类的福祉。 Jiéyuē néngyuán guānxidào quán rénlèi de fúzhǐ.Energy conservation touches on the welfare of all mankind.