army
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army
The entirety of a country's armed forces, especially the land forces. It includes soldiers, weapons, and equipment for defending the country.
Nach der Schule verpflichtete er sich für zwölf Jahre bei der Armee.
After school, he enlisted in the army for twelve years.
army
A very large, often organized group of people or things. This usage is figurative.
Eine ganze Armee von Journalisten wartete vor dem Gerichtsgebäude.
A whole army of journalists was waiting outside the courthouse.
army
A large military formation consisting of several divisions or corps and responsible for a specific operation. This is a specific military technical term.
Die 3. Armee hatte den Auftrag, die linke Flanke zu sichern.
The 3rd Army was tasked with securing the left flank.
The prepositions used with 'Armee' (army) are important. 'Zur Armee gehen' means to join the army. 'In der Armee sein' or 'bei der Armee sein' describes that someone is already serving as a soldier.
Er überlegt, nach der Ausbildung zur Armee zu gehen.
He is thinking about joining the army after his training.
You can often recognize the figurative meaning by the structure 'eine Armee von' (an army of) followed by a plural noun. Usually this does not refer to soldiers, but to a large number of people or even things.
Vor dem Konzert wartete eine Armee von Fans.
An army of fans was waiting before the concert.
In a military context, 'Armee' (army) is often used with certain verbs. Typical expressions are 'in der Armee dienen' (to serve in the army), 'in die Armee eintreten' (to join the army), or 'die Armee mobilisieren' (to mobilize the army).
Er hat drei Jahre in der französischen Armee gedient.
He served in the French army for three years.
The meaning of 'Armee' (army) as a specific large military formation (e.g. 'die 6. Armee' (the 6th Army)) is military technical language. In everyday language, 'Armee' is usually used for a country's entire armed forces.
In der historischen Dokumentation wurde die Rolle der 4. Armee analysiert.
The role of the 4th Army was analyzed in the historical documentary.
Bundeswehr
Armee and Bundeswehr can refer to a country’s armed forces. However, Bundeswehr is the specific name of Germany’s armed forces, with the army, air force, navy, and other branches, while Armee is more general and can refer to the armed forces or, in particular, the army. Use Bundeswehr for the German institution and Armee in general contexts.
Die Armee des Landes schützt die Grenze und besteht aus vielen Soldaten.
The country’s army protects the border and consists of many soldiers.
Die Bundeswehr schützt Deutschland und umfasst Heer, Luftwaffe und Marine.
The Bundeswehr protects Germany and includes the army, air force, and navy.
