human
To try to act like a normal, functioning person when you are actually very tired or stressed.
Explanation at your level:
You are tired. You do not want to work. But you must work. You say, 'I am trying to human today.' It means you are trying to be a good person who does their work.
When you feel very tired, it is hard to do normal things. We use the word 'human' as a verb to say we are trying our best to act like a normal person even when we are sleepy.
In casual English, we sometimes turn nouns into verbs. 'Human' is used this way when someone is stressed. If you say 'I am struggling to human,' you mean you are finding it hard to complete your daily tasks because you are exhausted.
This is a humorous way to describe the difficulty of daily life. It implies that being a 'normal' person requires effort. It is used in informal settings to bond with others over shared stress or fatigue.
The usage of 'human' as a verb is a prime example of functional shift in modern English. It highlights the gap between our internal state—often one of exhaustion—and our external social obligations. It serves as a coping mechanism, allowing speakers to acknowledge their limitations through humor.
The verbing of 'human' reflects a cultural shift toward prioritizing mental health and acknowledging the 'performance' of daily life. It is a postmodern linguistic development where the noun denoting our species becomes an action, suggesting that 'being human' is not a state of existence, but a labor-intensive task that requires active, daily maintenance.
30秒でわかる単語
- It is a slang verb.
- It means to act normal while tired.
- Use it humorously.
- Do not use in formal writing.
When we use human as a verb, we are playing with language! Normally, 'human' is a noun or an adjective, but in modern slang, we turn it into a verb to describe the struggle of being an adult.
Think of it as 'doing the things a human is supposed to do'. You might say, 'I have to human today,' when you really just want to stay in bed. It is all about the effort it takes to function in society when your battery is at 1%.
The word human traces back to the Latin humanus, meaning 'of or belonging to man.' For centuries, it was strictly a noun or adjective.
The shift to a verb is a recent linguistic phenomenon known as 'verbing' or 'anthimeria.' This is where English speakers take a word that isn't a verb and force it into a verb structure for comedic or expressive effect. It reflects our modern, busy culture where we often feel like robots or machines, so we have to remind ourselves to 'human' properly.
You will mostly hear this in casual conversation, social media, or text messages. It is not something you would write in a formal essay or a business report!
Common phrases include 'struggling to human' or 'I cannot human today.' It is used to build empathy with friends who are also feeling overwhelmed by their daily responsibilities.
While 'to human' is an expression itself, it relates to others:
- Running on fumes: Doing things with no energy left.
- Adulting: The broader term for doing grown-up tasks.
- Burned out: Being too tired to function.
- Out of sorts: Feeling slightly unwell or not like yourself.
- Hitting a wall: Reaching a point where you cannot go further.
As a verb, it follows regular conjugation: human, humans, humaned, humaning. Note that it is almost always used in the present continuous or simple present.
Pronunciation: UK /ˈhjuːmən/, US /ˈhjuːmən/. The stress is on the first syllable. It rhymes with woman (loosely) or Newman.
Fun Fact
the verb form is a modern invention of internet culture
Pronunciation Guide
starts with a clear 'hyoo' sound
similar to UK but with a softer 'r' if applicable
Common Errors
- mispronouncing the h
- stressing the second syllable
- rhyming with 'woman' too closely
Rhymes With
Difficulty Rating
easy
casual
casual
casual
What to Learn Next
Prerequisites
Learn Next
上級
Grammar to Know
Verbing
I googled it.
Examples by Level
I am trying to human.
I am trying to act normal.
Verb usage.
I cannot human today.
She is struggling to human.
It is hard to human on Mondays.
I need coffee to human.
Are you humaning today?
I am not humaning well.
Let us human together.
He forgot how to human.
I am really struggling to human after that long meeting.
Give me a minute, I am trying to human.
Is it possible to human without sleep?
I am done humaning for the day.
She is barely humaning right now.
We are all just trying to human.
I forgot how to human on my day off.
Stop asking me to human, I am tired.
Honestly, I am just humaning at a very basic level today.
The struggle to human is real on a Monday morning.
I have reached my limit for humaning this week.
Sometimes you just have to give yourself permission to not human.
I am in no state to human right now.
He is struggling to human after his vacation.
I am currently incapable of humaning.
We are all just trying to human through this project.
The sheer effort required to human during a busy work week is underestimated.
I am operating at a capacity where I can barely human.
She articulated the universal struggle of having to human when you are burnt out.
It is a performative act to human in a corporate environment.
I am currently in a state where I am unable to human effectively.
One must find the energy to human despite the overwhelming stress.
He is just trying to human until the weekend arrives.
The act of humaning is far more complex than it appears.
In our hyper-productive society, the simple act of humaning has become a radical form of self-care.
She navigated the complexities of the day with a grace that made humaning look easy.
There is a profound irony in the fact that we have to remind ourselves to human.
The linguistic shift of 'human' into a verb captures the existential fatigue of the modern age.
He performed the necessary tasks of humaning with a detached sense of irony.
The pressure to human constantly can lead to significant psychological strain.
We find ourselves in a culture where humaning is treated as a high-stakes performance.
To human is to engage in a daily struggle against the weight of existence.
よく使う組み合わせ
Idioms & Expressions
"running on empty"
no energy left
I am running on empty today.
casual""
""
""
""
""
Easily Confused
similar spelling
humane means kind, human means the species/verb
It is not humane to treat animals poorly.
Sentence Patterns
I am struggling to human
I am struggling to human today.
語族
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
関連
How to Use It
5
Formality Scale
よくある間違い
it is too slangy
Tips
Use with friends
Only use this with people who know you well.
Verbing
This is a great example of how English changes.
Don't use in essays
Keep it out of formal writing!
Memorize It
Mnemonic
HUMAN: Help, U Must Act Normal
Visual Association
a tired person trying to put on a mask of a normal face
Word Web
チャレンジ
Use it in a text to a friend when you are tired.
語源
Latin
Original meaning: of or belonging to man
文化的な背景
none, just informal
very popular on Twitter and TikTok to express burnout
Practice in Real Life
Real-World Contexts
Monday mornings
- I can't human on Mondays
Conversation Starters
"How is your week going? Are you humaning well?"
Journal Prompts
Write about a time you found it hard to human.
よくある質問
8 問Only with close colleagues.
自分をテスト
I am too tired to ___ today.
It is the slang term for acting normal.
What does 'I cannot human' mean?
It expresses exhaustion.
Is 'human' a formal verb?
It is slang.
Word
意味
Both relate to exhaustion.
Subject-Verb-Object structure.
スコア： /5
Summary
To 'human' is the humorous way to describe the effort of acting like a normal person when you are exhausted.
- It is a slang verb.
- It means to act normal while tired.
- Use it humorously.
- Do not use in formal writing.
Use with friends
Only use this with people who know you well.
Verbing
This is a great example of how English changes.
Don't use in essays
Keep it out of formal writing!
例文
I need a big cup of coffee before I can human today.
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