Lidská

Lidské is a Czech adjective meaning “human” or “humane,” used to describe qualities, conditions, or actions associated with people or humanity in general. It can refer to biological aspects as well as social, ethical, or psychological ones. In common usage it appears in phrases such as lidské tělo (human body), lidské chování (human behavior), and lidské slabosti (human weaknesses). The word often signals a contrast with non-human or impersonal phenomena.

The term is derived from the noun lid, meaning “people” or “the public,” with the productive suffix -ský forming adjectives. As with many Czech adjectives, lidské inflects to agree with the noun it modifies in gender, number, and case (for example, lidská for feminine nouns, lidský for masculine, and lidské for neuter nouns or plural usage).

Lidské is widely used across registers—from everyday speech to literature, philosophy, and political discourse. It appears in discussions of human rights (lidská práva), human dignity (lidská důstojnost), and human nature or humanity (lidská přirozenost, lidskost). In literature and media, it can frame topics about the universal experiences and vulnerabilities of people, as in phrases like lidské osudy or lidské životy.

See also terms related to the concept: lidstvo (humankind), lidskost (humanness or humanity). Lidské is distinct in tone from humánní, which tends to convey a more formal or normative sense of being humane.