människans

Människans is a Swedish term that commonly denotes a human being or humanity. Grammatically, it is the genitive form of the definite singular noun människan ("the human"). The standard indefinite forms are en människa ("a human") and människor ("humans"); the definite plural is människorna, and the possessive/genitive form is människans ("the human's" or "of the human"). The word is widely used in discussions of human nature, society, and evolution, as well as in scholarly and literary titles such as Människans historia.

Biologically, humans belong to the species Homo sapiens, characterized by a relatively large brain, refined cognition, and capacity for symbolic thought and language. The evolution of Homo sapiens began in Africa, with anatomical modernity emerging around 300,000 years ago. Modern humans spread beyond Africa in multiple waves beginning around 60,000–70,000 years ago, and interbred with archaic humans such as Neanderthals and Denisovans, contributing minor fractions of DNA to present-day non-African populations.

Culturally, humans developed sophisticated tool use, art, and language, which, combined with social learning, enabled agriculture and the rise of civilizations. Institutions, belief systems, science, and technology have shaped human societies and their interactions with other species and environments, leading to diverse cultures and shared global networks.

Today, humankind faces challenges and opportunities linked to population dynamics, health, education, inequality, and climate change. The study of humanity spans biology, anthropology, psychology, sociology, and philosophy, aiming to understand what makes humans unique and how diverse cultures relate to one another.