Vorsitzender
/ˈfoːɐ̯ˌzɪt͡sn̩dɐ/
The English phrase chairman is Vorsitzender in German.
Vorsitzender refers to the head of a corporate or governmental board.
Meaning: head of a corporate or governmental board (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the verb vorsitzen (to preside/sit at the head) and the suffix -ender (one who does something).
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of the noun is Vorsitzende. For the masculine noun, the plural is Vorsitzende when referring to a group of men or a mixed-gender group. In certain grammatical cases, such as the accusative or dative plural, the form Vorsitzenden is used.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈfoːɐ̯ˌzɪtsn̩dɐ/
Did you know?
- In modern German administrative writing, you may see the term Vorsitzende*r or Vorsitzende_r. The star or underscore is used to explicitly include non-binary people and all genders in a single word.
- In many German clubs and community organizations, the Vorsitzender is an honorary or volunteer role and is not a paid employee.
- The concept of 'sitting' is so central to authority in German that the word for a formal meeting or court hearing is Sitzung, meaning 'a sitting'.
Examples in context
- In der Zwischenzeit werde ich als Vorsitzender agieren.In the interim, I will serve as chairman.This sentence is useful for describing someone serving as a Vorsitzender during an interim period.Tatoeba #12254523 by Yorwba, translation #8657100 by AlanF_US
- Tom ist stellvertretender Vorsitzender des Berliner Vereins der Bienenzüchter.Tom is deputy chairman of the Berlin Association of Beekeepers.This sentence shows the use of Vorsitzender when describing a deputy position in an association.Tatoeba #6292440 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #6296998 by carlosalberto
- Der Vorsitzende des Unternehmens hielt eine Rede.The chairman of the company gave a speech.
- Die Vorsitzende des Ausschusses war sehr kompetent.The chairwoman of the committee was very competent.
- Der Leiter des Vereins hat das Treffen organisiert.The chairman of the club organized the meeting.
- Der Vorsitzende des Ausschusses hat die Sitzung geleitet.The chairman of the committee led the meeting.
- Die Vorsitzende der NGO gab eine inspirierende Präsentation.The chairwoman of the NGO gave an inspiring presentation.
- Der Leiter der Abteilung war sehr hilfsbereit.The chairman of the department was very helpful.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Julia are discussing company news in a cafe.
- LukasHast du gehört, wer der neue Vorsitzende ist?Did you hear who the new chairman is?
- JuliaNein, ich weiß es noch nicht.No, I don't know yet.
- LukasEs soll ein sehr erfahrener Vorsitzender werden.He is supposed to be a very experienced chairman.
- JuliaDas wäre gut für die Firma.That would be good for the company.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Vorsitzender, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
