Deutscher
/ˈdɔɪ̯t͡ʃɐ/
The English phrase 'german person' is translated into German as Deutscher.
This phrase is used to identify a person who is a citizen of Germany. In highly formal or legal contexts, you might encounter the term Deutscher Staatsbürger to specify a German citizen or the more descriptive Aus Deutschland stammender Mensch to describe a person originating from Germany.
Which one should you use?
The form Deutscher is used specifically for a male German person or can serve as a generic masculine. When referring to a female German person, use Deutsche.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes based on gender and grammatical case. Use Deutsche for a female German person. For the plural, the base form is Deutsche, but this changes to Deutschen when used in the accusative or dative case, such as after certain prepositions.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈdɔɪ̯tʃɐ/
Did you know?
- The word Deutsch comes from an old word meaning 'of the people', used to distinguish the common people's speech from the Latin used by scholars and clergy.
- In German, Deutsche is a nominalized adjective, meaning it follows the grammar rules of adjectives rather than standard nouns.
- When Germans speak about themselves collectively, they often use the specific phrase wir Deutschen to mean 'we Germans'. This emphasizes a sense of shared cultural identity rather than just a legal status.
Examples in context
- Ein Deutscher wohnt hier.A German person lives here.
- Ist er ein Deutscher?Is he a German?
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas are talking about their new neighbor.
- JuliaWer ist der neue Nachbar?Who is the new neighbor?
- LukasEr ist ein Deutscher.He is a German person.
- JuliaSpricht er gut Englisch?Does he speak English well?
- LukasJa, Lukas spricht sehr gut Englisch.Yes, Lukas speaks English very well.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Deutscher, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Deutscher, CC BY-SA 4.0.
