Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Landleute | plural | |
| Landvolk | plural | |
| Landmann. Bauer (armer) | masculine | |
| (arme) Bäuerin | /ˈaːɐ̯mə ˈbɔʏ̯əʁɪn/ (word by word) | feminine |
| (arme) Bauernschaft | collective, feminine | |
| Kleinbauer | [ˈklaɪ̯nˌbaʊ̯ɐ] (narrow) | masculine |
| Kleinbäuerin | feminine |
While Bauer refers to a farmer or agricultural worker in a general sense, adding arm (poor) or using Kleinbauer (smallholder) specifies the low-class or impoverished status implied by "peasant". The collective noun Bauernschaft is used to refer to the peasant class or the community of farmers as a whole.
Which one should you use?
Bauer is the standard word for farmer, whereas Kleinbauer specifies the low-class or impoverished status. To emphasize a low-class or poor status, one might use Landmann. Bauer (armer) or (arme) Bäuerin for a female. For a collective group, use Bauernschaft or Landvolk.
How does it change in a sentence?
The forms provided include masculine (Landmann. Bauer (armer), Kleinbauer), feminine ((arme) Bäuerin, Kleinbäuerin, (arme) Bauernschaft), plural (Landleute, Landvolk) and collective ((arme) Bauernschaft) options.
Did you know?
- The German word Bauer shares an ancient root with the English word 'boor', which describes someone who is rude or unrefined.
- While Bauer describes a person, it is also related to the German verb bauen, which means 'to build'.
Examples in context
- Der Bauer hat erfolgreich seine Felder bestellt.The peasant successfully tended to his fields.
Example conversation
Julia and Julian are discussing a history book.
- JuliaWer waren die Landleute in dieser Zeit?Who were the peasants in this era?
- JulianDas waren meistens arme Bauern.Those were mostly poor farmers.
- JuliaHatten die Landleute viele Rechte?Did the peasants have many rights?
- JulianNein, sie hatten fast gar keine Rechte.No, they had almost no rights at all.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “peasant” translations and entries Kleinbauer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (Arme, Bäuerin) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Bauer, Bäuerin, Landmann, CC BY-SA 4.0.
