der
Einwohner
🤔 What does "der Einwohner" mean?
Der Einwohner translates to inhabitant or resident in English. It refers to a male person who lives or resides in a specific place, such as a city, country, or region. It's the general term for someone whose place of residence is there.
Although der Einwohner is grammatically masculine, it can sometimes be used generically to refer to all residents of a place, especially in official statistics or broader contexts (e.g., "Die Zahl der Einwohner stieg" - The number of inhabitants increased). 📊
The female form is die Einwohnerin (female inhabitant/resident).
Example:
- Er ist ein langjähriger Einwohner dieser Stadt. (He is a long-time resident of this city.)
- Berlin hat über 3,7 Millionen Einwohner. (Berlin has over 3.7 million inhabitants. - Used generically here)
🚨 Be careful: Don't confuse it with Bürger (citizen), which implies legal nationality, whereas Einwohner purely refers to the place of residence.
Article rules for der, die, and das
Male characters → always masculine.
Caution: Most professions also have their feminine forms (e.g. die Polizistin). Some words can also have two forms: der/die Deutsche, der/die Kranke.
-ner → almost always masculine.
Compare with the category '-er'.
-er → mostly masculine.
1. Caution: many exceptions. 2. almost all -euer nouns are neutral. 3. There are many -er words, we don't list them all.
🧐 Grammar in Detail: Der Einwohner
The noun "Einwohner" is masculine. Here are the declension tables:
Singular
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Who/What?) | der | Einwohner |
| Genitive (Whose?) | des | Einwohners |
| Dative (To/For whom?) | dem | Einwohner |
| Accusative (Whom/What?) | den | Einwohner |
Plural
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Einwohner |
| Genitive | der | Einwohner |
| Dative | den | Einwohnern |
| Accusative | die | Einwohner |
💡 Example Sentences
- Der neue Einwohner wurde freundlich begrüßt. (The new resident was greeted warmly. - Nominative Singular)
- Das ist das Auto des Einwohners von nebenan. (That is the car of the resident next door. - Genitive Singular)
- Die Stadtverwaltung hilft dem Einwohner bei der Anmeldung. (The city administration helps the resident with registration. - Dative Singular)
- Wir haben den ältesten Einwohner des Dorfes interviewt. (We interviewed the oldest inhabitant of the village. - Accusative Singular)
- Die Einwohner protestieren gegen die neue Regelung. (The inhabitants are protesting against the new regulation. - Nominative Plural)
- Die Meinung der Einwohner ist uns wichtig. (The opinion of the inhabitants is important to us. - Genitive Plural)
- Die Informationen wurden an alle Einwohnern verteilt. (The information was distributed to all inhabitants. - Dative Plural - note the 'n'!)
- Die Bürgermeisterin kennt viele Einwohner persönlich. (The mayor knows many inhabitants personally. - Accusative Plural)
🏙️ How to use "Einwohner"?
Der Einwohner is used in various contexts:
- Official statistics and administration: To state population figures or designate persons with a place of residence. Example: Die Einwohnerzahl ist im letzten Jahr gestiegen. (The number of inhabitants increased last year.)
- Everyday language: To talk about people living in a particular place. Example: Die Einwohner dieses Viertels sind sehr engagiert. (The residents of this neighborhood are very involved.)
- News and reports: In reports about local or regional events. Example: Die Einwohner wurden gebeten, Wasser zu sparen. (The inhabitants were asked to save water.)
Distinction from similar terms:
- Bürger/in (citizen): Refers to nationality or the rights and duties within a political community (state, city). One can be an Einwohner without being a Bürger (e.g., foreigners residing in the country).
- Bewohner/in (resident/occupant): Often interchangeable with Einwohner, but can also refer more specifically to the occupants of a house or apartment (Hausbewohner, Mitbewohner - housemate, roommate).
- Anwohner/in (resident/neighbour): Specifically refers to people living directly on a particular street, square, or near a construction site.
🧠 Mnemonics for Einwohner
Article Mnemonic (der): Remember: An Einwohner often ends like the English 'her', but it's typically a male person ('er' is a common ending for masculine nouns designating people in German), so it takes the masculine article 'der'. Think 'der Sir' who is an inhabitant.
Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine someone living IN (German: EIN) a place. They 'wohn' (sounds like 'won') their place there. An Ein-wohner is someone who lives in a place.
🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- Bewohner: Very similar, often interchangeable. Can also refer to occupants of a building.
- Anwohner: More specific, a person living directly adjacent to a location (e.g., a street).
- Ortsansässiger: Emphasizes that someone has been living in the place for a longer time.
- Bevölkerung: Collective term for all inhabitants of an area (population).
⚠️ Potential for Confusion: Don't mix up with Bürger (citizen - legal status) or Mieter (tenant - legal relationship to an apartment).
😂 A Little Joke
Fragt ein Tourist einen Einwohner: "Entschuldigen Sie, wie komme ich am schnellsten zum Bahnhof?"
Antwortet der Einwohner: "Sind Sie zu Fuß oder mit dem Auto?"
Tourist: "Mit dem Auto."
Einwohner: "Das ist am schnellsten!"
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: "By car."
Resident: "That's the quickest way!"
📜 Poem about an Inhabitant
In Mauern alt, in neuem Glanz,
lebt hier der Einwohner, Tag für Tag, sein Tanz.
Ob groß die Stadt, ob klein der Ort,
er ist ein Teil, trägt Leben fort.
Mit Sorgen, Freud', mit Plan und Tat,
der Einwohner prägt Stadt und Staat.
Translation:
In walls so old, in splendor new,
the inhabitant lives here, day by day, his dance ensues.
Whether large the city, or small the place,
he is a part, carries life with grace.
With worries, joys, with plan and deed,
the inhabitant shapes city and state indeed.
🧩 Little Riddle
Ich habe einen festen Platz,
in Dorf und Stadt, welch Schatz!
Ich zähle mit zur großen Zahl,
bin dort gemeldet, ganz legal.
Bin ich Mann, sagst du 'der' zu mir.
Wer bin ich hier?
Translation:
I have a fixed place,
in village and city, what a treasure space!
I count towards the great number,
registered there, quite legal, no slumber.
If I am a man, you say 'der' to me.
Who am I here?
Solution: Der Einwohner (The inhabitant/resident)
➕ Other Information
Word Composition (Wortzusammensetzung):
The word "Einwohner" is composed of:
- ein-: Prefix, here indicating a direction inwards or a state of being in a place.
- wohnen: The verb meaning 'to live', 'to reside'.
- -er: Suffix used to form masculine nouns denoting a person performing an action or having a characteristic (here: someone who 'einwohnt' - lives in).
Trivia: The counting of Einwohner (inhabitants) is the basis for many political decisions in Germany, such as the allocation of funds or the definition of electoral districts.
Summary: Is it der, die or das Einwohner?
The word Einwohner is masculine. The correct article is der Einwohner. The female form is die Einwohnerin, and the plural for all genders is die Einwohner.