wir sind Engländer
The English phrase "we are english" is translated into German as wir sind Engländer.
The phrase is used to make a statement that the speakers are people from England.
Which one should you use?
Use wir sind Engländer only if you specifically mean people from England. If you wish to refer to people from the United Kingdom more broadly, use wir sind Briten.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the group of speakers consists only of women, use wir sind Engländerinnen. You may also use the adjective englisch in lowercase, as in wir sind englisch, though this often refers to the language rather than nationality in certain contexts.
Did you know?
- If a group consists of a hundred women and only one man, the group must still be referred to as Engländer rather than Engländerinnen.
- The word sind is spelled with a 'd' today, but it was originally spelled with a 't' in Middle High German. This change happened because the 'nd' combination is far more common in the German language than 'nt'.
Examples in context
- Wir sind Engländer.We are English.This sentence demonstrates the use of wir sind Engländer.Tatoeba #9426091 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #9270103 by DJ_Saidez
- Hallo! Wir sind Engländer und kommen aus England.Hello! We are English and come from England.
- Wir sind Engländer und wohnen in London.We are English and live in London.
Example conversation
Felix and Hannah are introducing themselves to a new group of friends.
- FelixWoher kommt ihr eigentlich?Where are you guys from, actually?
- HannahWir sind Engländer.We are English.
- FelixDas ist ja toll!That is great!
- HannahJa, wir besuchen gerade die Stadt.Yes, we are visiting the city right now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Engländer, sind, wir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
