Calvinism tells us three things. Man is born in sin. This is the doctrine of total, hereditary depravity. Total means all, whole or complete. Hereditary means one receives it from his parents, which in this case means from Adam, hence, adamic, original sin.
Depravity means bad, wicked, evil.
Thus, every person born into this world is, at birth, thoroughly, utterly sinful. The Holy Spirit regenerates the sinner directly. Man can do nothing to effect his deliverance from his unhappy state of depravity. Man is wholly passive in his redemption. Since one is totally dead, he must be given life before he can act.