der  Anwohner

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈanˌvoːnɐ/

🏡 What does "der Anwohner" mean?

Der Anwohner refers to a male resident, someone who lives in a particular street, area, or in close proximity to a specific place or facility. It describes someone who has their place of residence there.

There is also a feminine form: die Anwohnerin (female resident).

The plural is die Anwohner (male residents or a mixed group) or die Anwohnerinnen (female residents only).

The term is often used in the context of local matters, such as construction noise (Baustellenlärm), traffic calming measures (Verkehrsberuhigung), or neighborhood initiatives (Nachbarschaftsinitiativen).

🚨 Important: Anwohner is more specific than Einwohner (inhabitant). An Einwohner lives in a city or country, whereas an Anwohner lives in direct proximity to something specific (e.g., a street, a park, a construction site).

Article rules for der, die, and das

🧐 Grammar in Detail: Der Anwohner

Anwohner is a masculine noun. It belongs to the N-declension (schwache Deklination or weak declension). This means it takes the ending -n in the genitive, dative, and accusative cases in the singular, as well as throughout the plural (except for the genitive plural in some cases, but not here).

Declension Singular

Declension Plural

Example Sentences

1. Der Anwohner beschwerte sich über den Lärm. (The resident complained about the noise. - Nominative Singular)
2. Das Auto gehört dem Anwohnern aus dem Nachbarhaus. (The car belongs to the resident from the neighboring house. - Dative Singular)
3. Die Polizei befragte den Anwohnern als Zeugen. (The police questioned the resident as a witness. - Accusative Singular)
4. Die Rechte des Anwohnern wurden berücksichtigt. (The rights of the resident were considered. - Genitive Singular)
5. Die Anwohner trafen sich zu einer Versammlung. (The residents met for a meeting. - Nominative Plural)
6. Die Stadt informierte die Anwohner über die Bauarbeiten. (The city informed the residents about the construction work. - Accusative Plural)
7. Das Fest wurde von den Anwohnern organisiert. (The festival was organized by the residents. - Dative Plural)

🗣️ How to use "Anwohner"?

The term Anwohner is mostly used to describe people living in close proximity to a specific location. Here are typical contexts:

• Neighborhood: "Die Anwohner der Schillerstraße haben eine Initiative gegründet." (The residents of Schiller Street founded an initiative.)
• Traffic/Construction: "Anwohner müssen wegen der Baustelle mit Lärm rechnen." (Residents must expect noise due to the construction site.) or "Die Straße ist nur für Anwohner frei." (The street is only open for residents. - common on signs)
• Local Politics/Administration: "Es gab eine Informationsveranstaltung für die Anwohner." (There was an informational event for the residents.)

Distinction from similar words:

• Einwohner: Refers to all people living in a larger unit (city, country). Example: "Berlin hat über 3,7 Millionen Einwohner." (Berlin has over 3.7 million inhabitants.)
• Nachbar: Refers to people living directly next door (same building, adjacent house/property). A Nachbar is always an Anwohner (of the immediate vicinity), but not every Anwohner is a direct Nachbar. Example: "Mein Nachbar leiht mir manchmal Zucker." (My neighbor sometimes lends me sugar.)
• Anlieger: Often used synonymously with Anwohner, especially in legal or official contexts (e.g., "Anlieger frei" - Access only for residents/abutters on traffic signs). Refers to owners or users of properties adjacent to a street or path.

🧠 Mnemonics and Memory Aids

For the article 'der': Think of DER man, DER Nachbar (neighbor), DER Bewohner (inhabitant) – many German nouns for male persons are masculine, including DER Anwohner.

For the meaning 'resident': An Anwohner lives "an" (at/near) a specific place. He is someone who "wohnt" (lives/resides) there. So: An + wohner = Anwohner. Imagine someone living right AT your house (AN deinem Haus WOHNENd).

🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms

⚠️ Note: Although Nachbar (neighbor) is often used similarly, its meaning is narrower than Anwohner. Anwohner refers to living within a specific zone or street, while Nachbar emphasizes direct spatial proximity.

😂 A Little Joke

Fragt ein Tourist einen Anwohner: "Entschuldigen Sie, wie komme ich am schnellsten zum Bahnhof?"
Antwortet der Anwohner: "Sind Sie zu Fuß oder mit dem Auto?"
Tourist: "Zu Fuß."
Anwohner: "Dann am schnellsten, wenn Sie anfangen zu rennen!"

Translation:

A tourist asks a resident: "Excuse me, what's the quickest way to get to the train station?"
The resident replies: "Are you on foot or by car?"
Tourist: "On foot."
Resident: "Then the quickest way is if you start running!"

📜 Poem about Anwohner

Der Anwohner schaut aus dem Fenster weit,
kennt seine Straße, die Nachbarschaft, die Zeit.
Er grüßt den Postboten, hört den Verkehr,
sein Zuhause ist hier, er braucht nicht mehr.
Ob Lärm oder Fest, er ist stets dabei,
als Teil des Ganzen, lokal und frei.

Translation:

The resident looks far out the window,
knows his street, the neighborhood, the time's flow.
He greets the mailman, hears the traffic's sound,
his home is here, no more needs to be found.
Whether noise or party, he's always around,
as part of the whole, local and unbound.

🧩 Riddle

Ich wohne nicht fern, ich wohne ganz nah,
an der Straße, dem Park, bin einfach da.
Ich bin kein Tourist, kein Besucher, kein Gast,
habe hier meinen Wohnsitz, ohne Hast.

Wer bin ich? (...) Der Anwohner

Translation:

I don't live far, I live very near,
By the street, the park, I'm simply here.
I'm not a tourist, no visitor, no guest,
I have my residence here, putting life to the test (or: without haste).

Who am I? (...) The Resident (der Anwohner)

💡 Other Information

Word Composition (Wortzusammensetzung):

The word Anwohner is composed of:

• an-: A preposition/prefix expressing proximity or adjacency (at, near, on).
• wohnen: The verb meaning "to live", "to reside".
• -er: A suffix often used to form masculine nouns indicating a person performing an action derived from a verb (like Lehrer from lehren - teacher from teach, Bäcker from backen - baker from bake).

Legal Context (Rechtlicher Kontext):

In a legal sense, Anwohner often have specific rights and obligations, e.g., regarding planning permissions in the neighborhood, noise protection regulations, or local charges (Anliegergebühren) for street renovations.