Bürgermeister
/ˈbʏrɡərˌmaɪ̯stər/masculine
The English word 'mayor' is translated into German as Bürgermeister. Wiktionary also lists Bürgermeisterin.
Meaning: leader of a city (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Bürgermeister | /ˈbʏrɡərˌmaɪ̯stər/ /ˌbʏrɡərˈmaɪ̯stər/ |
masculine |
| Bürgermeisterin | /ˈbʏʁɡɐˌmaɪ̯stɐʁɪn/ | feminine |
The term refers to the leader of a city.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of Bürger, meaning 'citizen' and Meister, meaning 'master' or 'leader'.
Which one should you use?
Bürgermeister is the masculine form. Bürgermeisterin is the feminine form used when referring specifically to a woman holding the office.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form Bürgermeister is used for both the singular masculine and the plural form. For the plural of the feminine form, Bürgermeisterinnen is used to refer to female mayors.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbʏrɡərˌmaɪ̯stər/
Did you know?
- Depending on the city's size and legal status, a mayor might be called an Oberbürgermeister, which literally translates to 'upper mayor'.
- Because of the ambiguity between Bürger (citizen) and Burg (castle/fortified town), the word's history is a linguistic tug-of-war.
- The component Meister in Bürgermeister is the same word used to describe a sports coach or a master craftsman.
Examples in context
- Ist er der Bürgermeister?Is he the mayor?This sentence is useful for asking if a specific person holds the office of Bürgermeister.Tatoeba #13847156 by mhr, translation #13847144 by rul
- Er kennt den Bürgermeister.He knows the mayor.This sentence is useful for stating that someone knows the Bürgermeister.Tatoeba #689346 by Manfredo, translation #9836078 by Luornu
- Wer ist jetzt Bürgermeister?Who's the mayor now?This sentence is useful for asking who currently holds the office of Bürgermeister.Tatoeba #10171510 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #10171235 by CK
- Sehr geehrter Herr Bürgermeister Meier,Dear Mr. Mayor Meier,
- 81 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are discussing local politics in a cafe.
- LukasWird der Bürgermeister bald gewählt?Will the mayor be elected soon?
- SarahJa, der neue Bürgermeister ist sehr populär.Yes, the new mayor is very popular.
- LukasDas ist eine gute Nachricht für uns.That is good news for us.
- SarahIch hoffe, er macht viel für die Stadt.I hope he does a lot for the city.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mayor” translations and entries Bürgermeister, Bürgermeisterin, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Bürgermeister, Bürgermeisterin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
