We have investigated the Mn 3d electronic structure of Mn 5Ge 3 by means of the Mn 2p–3d soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) experiments. The spectra are similar to those of the itinerant ferromagnetic compound MnSb. The integrated intensity of the XMCD spectrum is almost zero, indicating that the orbital magnetic moment is negligible for the magnetism of the Mn 5Ge 3 compounds. The atomic multiplet calculations suggest the 3d 6 configuration for the Mn atoms at two inequivalent sites.