der
Müller
🧑🌾 What does 'der Müller' mean?
The German word der Müller primarily has two meanings:
- Profession: A Müller is a person (traditionally male; the female form is die Müllerin) who operates a mill (eine Mühle) where grain (Getreide) is ground into flour (Mehl). It's an old craft/profession (Handwerksberuf).
- Surname: Müller is the most common German family name (Familienname). In this case, it's often used without an article or with an article when referring to a specific person or family (e.g., “Der Müller von nebenan” – The Müller from next door).
🚨 Attention: When 'Müller' is used as a surname, the article depends on the gender of the person (der Herr Müller – Mr. Müller, die Frau Müller – Mrs. Müller) or is omitted (“Ich habe Müller getroffen.” – I met Müller.). The form discussed here, 'der Müller', primarily refers to the profession or, in a generalizing way, to a male person with this name.
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 of 'der Müller'
Der Müller is a masculine noun. It declines as follows:
Singular
| Case | Masculine |
|---|---|
| Nominative | der Müller |
| Genitive | des Müllers |
| Dative | dem Müller |
| Accusative | den Müller |
Plural
| Case | Masculine |
|---|---|
| Nominative | die Müller |
| Genitive | der Müller |
| Dative | den Müllern |
| Accusative | die Müller |
💡 Examples
- As profession: Der Müller mahlt das Korn in seiner Mühle. (The miller grinds the grain in his mill.)
- As surname (specific person): Der Müller aus dem dritten Stock ist sehr nett. (The Mr. Müller from the third floor is very nice.)
- As surname (family, colloquial): Die Müllers sind in Urlaub gefahren. (The Müllers went on vacation. - Note the pluralization of the surname here)
- As surname (without article): Frau Müller kommt heute später. (Ms. Müller is coming later today.)
ℹ️ For surnames, the genitive case is often formed using 'von' (“das Haus von Müller” – the house of Müller) or by adding an -s without an apostrophe (“Müllers Bäckerei” – Müller's Bakery).
🗣️ Everyday Usage
Context Profession: The term 'der Müller' for the profession is less common today than in the past, as the profession itself has become rarer. However, you can still find it in historical contexts, stories, or when specifically discussing the craft.
Context Surname: 'Müller' as a surname is ubiquitous in German-speaking countries. You typically use 'der Müller' only when referring to a specific male person who is clear from the context (“Hast du den Müller gesehen?” – Did you see Müller?). It's more common to use 'Herr Müller' (Mr. Müller) or 'Frau Müller' (Ms./Mrs. Müller).
Generalization: Sometimes 'der Müller' is used somewhat stereotypically or generally to represent a typical German person, due to the name's frequency (similar to 'John Doe' or 'Joe Bloggs').
🧠 Mnemonics
Remembering the Article: Imagine a strong MAN (implies 'der') who operates a MILL - he's der Müller. 'Der' is the article for most male professions.
Remembering the Meaning: Müller sounds a bit like 'mill-er'. Who works in a mill (Mühle)? The Müller (miller). And because it was such a common job, it became the most common surname.
🔄 Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms (Profession)
- Mühlenbetreiber: Someone who owns or runs a mill.
- Mühlenpächter: Someone who leases a mill.
- (Colloquial, dated): Mahlmüller (Grinding miller)
Synonyms (Surname)
There are no direct synonyms for surnames.
Antonyms
There are generally no direct antonyms for professions or surnames.
Similar Words
😂 A Little Joke
German: Fragt der Lehrer: „Wer kann mir einen Satz mit Müller bilden?“
Meldet sich Fritzchen: „Gestern habe ich Müll erfahren.“
Lehrer: „Das heißt ‚erfahren‘, Fritzchen, nicht Müller!“
English Translation: The teacher asks: "Who can make a sentence with Müller?"
Little Fritz raises his hand: "Yesterday I experienced garbage (Müll erfahren)."
Teacher: "It's 'erfahren' (experienced), Fritzchen, not Müller!" (This is a pun; 'Müll erfahren' sounds a bit like 'Müller fahren' - to drive Müller, which doesn't make sense, but the intended word 'erfahren' means 'to experience' or 'to learn/hear about'. Fritzchen combines 'Müll' (garbage) with 'erfahren'.)
📜 Poem about the Miller
German:
Der Müller steht am rauschenden Bach,
die Mühle klappert Tag und Nacht.
Aus Korn wird Mehl, so fein und licht,
der Müller sorgt für unser täglich Brot-Gedicht.
English Translation:
The miller stands by the rushing stream,
The mill it clatters, a waking dream.
From grain comes flour, so fine and bright,
The miller provides our daily bread-poem's light.
❓ Riddle
German:
Ich mahle Korn, den ganzen Tag,
dass jeder Brot bekommen mag.
Mein Name ist so weit bekannt,
im ganzen deutschen Land.
Wer bin ich?
English Translation:
I grind the grain the whole day through,
So everyone may have bread anew.
My name is known throughout the nation,
Across the German land's foundation.
Who am I?
(The answer: Der Müller / The Miller)
🧐 Other Information
- Etymology: 'Müller' comes directly from the Middle High German word 'mülnære' or 'müller', which in turn derives from 'Mühle' (mill), originating from Old High German 'muli', borrowed from Latin 'molina'.
- Frequency: Müller is the most common surname in Germany and Switzerland, reflecting the historical importance of the milling profession.
- Saying: The German saying „Das ist Wasser auf seine Mühle“ (That's water on his mill) means that something is advantageous for someone or supports their arguments. It plays on the idea that water powers a mill.
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Müller?
The German word 'Müller' mainly refers to the profession of a miller or the very common German surname. As a profession, the noun is masculine: der Müller (plural: die Müller). As a surname, it is often used without an article, or the article depends on the specific person (der Herr Müller, die Frau Müller).