der
Engländer
🌍 What does "der Engländer" mean?
Der Engländer refers to a male person from England or who holds English citizenship. It's the masculine form of the noun.
- The feminine form is: die Engländerin (Englishwoman).
- The plural for people from England (male or mixed gender) is: die Engländer (English people/Englishmen).
🚨 Watch out for confusion: "Engländer" specifically refers to England, whereas "Brite" (Briton) refers to Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales). Not every Brite is an Engländer!
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.
-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 Engländer
"Der Engländer" is a masculine noun and belongs to the weak declension (N-Deklination). This means it takes an -n ending in all cases except the nominative singular.
Singular Declension
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | der | Engländer |
| Genitive (Possessive) | des | Engländern |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | dem | Engländern |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | den | Engländern |
Plural Declension
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | die | Engländer |
| Genitive (Possessive) | der | Engländer |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | den | Engländern |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | die | Engländer |
Example Sentences
- Der Engländer trinkt gerne Tee. (The Englishman likes to drink tea.)
- Das ist der Regenschirm des Engländers. (That is the Englishman's umbrella.)
- Ich habe dem Engländer den Weg gezeigt. (I showed the Englishman the way.)
- Kennst du den Engländer dort drüben? (Do you know the Englishman over there?)
- Die Engländer sind für ihren trockenen Humor bekannt. (The English are known for their dry humour.)
💡 How to use "der Engländer"?
"Der Engländer" is used to refer to a male person from England. It's a common word to denote nationality or origin.
- Typical contexts: Conversations about nationalities, travel, culture, sports (e.g., football), history.
- Difference to "Brite": As mentioned, "Engländer" is more specific than "Brite" (Briton). Use "Engländer" when you explicitly mean someone from England. For someone from Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland (or England), "Brite" is the more encompassing term.
- Neutrality: The word itself is neutral, but depending on context or stereotyping, it can carry negative or positive connotations.
Example: "Mein Nachbar ist Engländer, aber seine Frau ist Schottin – beide sind also Briten." (My neighbour is an Englishman, but his wife is Scottish – so both are Britons.)
🧠 Mnemonics for "der Engländer"
Remembering the Article (der)
Think: Der Mann (the man) from England is der Engländer. The male gender of the person helps remember "der".
Remembering the Meaning
The word sounds very similar to the country: England. Someone who comes from England is an Engländer.
🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning)
Similar but Confusing Words
😂 A Little Joke
DE: Fragt ein Deutscher einen Engländer: "Sagen Sie mal, warum trinken Sie Engländer eigentlich immer Tee?" Antwortet der Engländer: "Nun, wissen Sie, wenn er so gut schmecken würde wie Ihr deutsches Bier, würden wir ihn wahrscheinlich auch kalt trinken!"
EN: A German asks an Englishman: "Tell me, why do you English always drink tea?" The Englishman replies: "Well, you know, if it tasted as good as your German beer, we'd probably drink it cold too!"
📜 Poem about the Engländer
DE:
Der Engländer, bekannt für Tee zur Stund',
Mit Schirm und Charme, macht er die Rund'.
Von London Bridge bis Dover-Klippen weiß,
Reist er durchs Land, mal laut, mal leis'.
Ein Gentleman, so sagt man hier,
Der Engländer, das sind wir!
EN:
The Englishman, known for tea right on time,
With umbrella and charm, makes his rounds sublime.
From London Bridge to Dover's cliffs so white,
He travels the land, by day and by night.
A gentleman, or so they say near,
The Englishman, yes, we are here!
❓ Little Riddle
DE:
Ich komm' von einer Insel, groß und alt,
Wo oft der Regen fällt, ist's draußen kalt.
Man kennt mich für den Fünf-Uhr-Tee,
Und meine Sprache spricht man über See.
Ich bin ein Mann von dort, wer bin ich dann?
EN:
I come from an island, large and old,
Where rain often falls, and the weather is cold.
I'm known for my five o'clock tea, you see,
And my language is spoken across the sea.
I am a man from there, so who am I then?
Solution: Der Engländer (The Englishman)
📎 Further Information
- Word Formation: The word is derived from the country name England + suffix -er (used to denote origin/belonging).
- Feminine Form: die Engländerin (Englishwoman)
- Adjective: englisch (e.g., die englische Sprache - the English language, englisches Frühstück - English breakfast)
- Cultural Associations: Tea, rain, red double-decker bus, monarchy, dry humour, football. (These are stereotypes and naturally don't apply to everyone!)
Summary: is it der, die or das Engländer?
The word "Engländer" referring to a male person from England is always masculine. The correct article is der Engländer.