der  Mitbürger

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈmɪtbʏʁɡɐ/

🌍 Who is a Mitbürger?

Der Mitbürger (plural: die Mitbürger) refers to a person who lives together with others in the same city, country, or state and shares the same civil rights and duties. It emphasizes shared life and belonging to a community. The English equivalent is fellow citizen or compatriot.

The term is often used in political or public speeches to express a sense of community and shared responsibility.

It is a masculine noun, hence the article is der.

Article rules for der, die, and das

📊 Grammar Compass: Der Mitbürger

The noun "Mitbürger" is masculine. Here is its declension:

Example Sentences

• Der Bürgermeister sprach zu seinen Mitbürgern. (The mayor spoke to his fellow citizens.)
• Als verantwortungsbewusster Mitbürger achtet er auf Sauberkeit in der Stadt. (As a responsible fellow citizen, he pays attention to cleanliness in the city.)
• Die Rechte und Pflichten aller Mitbürger sind im Grundgesetz verankert. (The rights and duties of all fellow citizens are enshrined in the constitution.)
• Wir sollten unsere Mitbürger mit Respekt behandeln. (We should treat our fellow citizens with respect.)

🗣️ How to Use 'Mitbürger'

The term Mitbürger is frequently used in formal contexts, especially in politics, official addresses, or discussions about societal issues.

• Political Speeches: Politicians often use it to address the population (e.g., "Liebe Mitbürgerinnen und Mitbürger!" – here the female form is added to be inclusive).
• Social Cohesion: It emphasizes shared belonging and responsibility within a community or state.
• Distinction: Sometimes it's used to differentiate between citizens of a country and non-citizens (e.g., Ausländer - foreigners, tourists), although this can be sensitive.

In everyday life, people are more likely to say "Leute" (people), "Einwohner" (inhabitants), or use more specific terms. "Mitbürger" can sometimes sound a bit distant or official, but it's also used to express solidarity.

⚠️ Note: Although "der Mitbürger" is the basic form, modern addresses often use the pair form "Mitbürgerinnen und Mitbürger" to avoid exclusion.

🧠 Mnemonics for 'Mitbürger'

1. Article Mnemonic: Think of der Bürgermeister (the mayor), who speaks for der Mitbürger. Many masculine roles/persons in German end in '-er', which might help here (though Mitbürger isn't a profession).
2. Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine you are WITH (MIT-) others in a burger (Bürger) joint – you are all citizens of this community enjoying burgers together, you are Mitbürger (fellow citizens). Okay, it's a stretch, but maybe memorable! Or simply: Mit = with/fellow, Bürger = citizen -> fellow citizen.

🔄 Word Field: Synonyms & Antonyms

Similar Words (Potential Confusion):

• Bürger: citizen (the base word, refers to an inhabitant with civil rights, but lacks the "Mit-" emphasizing community).

😄 A Little Joke

Fragt der Lehrer: "Fritzchen, was ist der Unterschied zwischen einem Einwohner und einem Mitbürger?"
Fritzchen: "Ein Einwohner wohnt nur da, ein Mitbürger muss auch noch Steuern zahlen!"

Translation:
The teacher asks: "Freddy, what's the difference between an inhabitant (Einwohner) and a fellow citizen (Mitbürger)?"
Freddy: "An inhabitant just lives there, a fellow citizen also has to pay taxes!"

✍️ Poem: Community

Der Mitbürger, Hand in Hand,
Gestaltet mit das eigne Land.
Teilt Freud und Leid, teilt Pflicht und Recht,
Ein starkes Band, ein dichtes Geflecht.

Ob alt, ob jung, ob arm, ob reich,
Vor dem Gesetz sind alle gleich.
Gemeinsam bauen, Zukunft sehen,
Als Mitbürger zusammenstehen.

Translation:
The fellow citizen, hand in hand,
Helps shape their own land.
Shares joy and sorrow, shares duty and right,
A strong bond, a dense network tight.

Whether old, whether young, whether poor, whether rich,
Before the law, all are equal, no glitch.
Building together, seeing the future ahead,
Standing together as fellow citizens, it's said.

❓ Riddle Time

Ich teile mit dir Stadt und Staat,
hab Rechte, Pflichten, früh und spat.
Im Rathaus spricht man oft von mir,
wenn's um Gemeinschaft geht, glaub mir.

Wer bin ich wohl, in diesem Land,
dir oft durch Ansprachen bekannt?

Translation:
I share with you city and state,
Have rights, duties, early and late.
In the town hall, they often speak of me,
When it's about community, believe me.

Who am I then, in this land,
Often known to you through addresses grand?

Solution: Der Mitbürger (The fellow citizen)

🧩 Word Building & More

Word Composition:

The word "Mitbürger" is composed of:

• Mit-: A preposition/prefix expressing community, togetherness, or participation (as in "Mitarbeiter" - colleague/co-worker, "Mitglied" - member).
• Bürger: A person belonging to a specific political community (city, state) and enjoying civil rights there (citizen).

Gender-Neutral Language:

As mentioned earlier, the masculine form "der Mitbürger" is the grammatical default. However, in contemporary German, gender-inclusive language is important. Therefore, you will very often hear and read:

• Mitbürgerinnen und Mitbürger (explicitly naming both female and male forms)
• Sometimes neutral formulations like Bürgerschaft (citizenry), Einwohnende (residents - participle form), or Mitmenschen (fellow human beings) are used, depending on the context.