01
die Belegschaft
workforce
All employees of a company, factory, or organization as a whole.
example
Die Geschäftsführung informierte die gesamte Belegschaft über die neuen Pläne.
Management informed the entire workforce about the new plans.
die Belegschaft
workforce
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word structure
The word ends in '-schaft', an ending that often describes collectives or groups of people (e.g., 'Mannschaft' — team, 'Gesellschaft' — society). 'Belegschaft' refers to all the people who 'belegen' (occupy) the positions in a company.
EXAMPLE
Die Freundschaft zwischen den Kollegen war auch nach der Arbeit stark.
The friendship between the colleagues remained strong even after work.
Use as a collective noun
'Belegschaft' is a singular noun, but it refers to a group of many people. Therefore, the verb in the sentence is normally singular, even though many people are meant.
EXAMPLE
Die Belegschaft stimmt über den Vorschlag ab.
The workforce is voting on the proposal.
Typical collocations
The word is often used in business and corporate contexts. Typical verbs are 'die Belegschaft informieren' (to inform the workforce), 'sich an die Belegschaft wenden' (to address the workforce), or 'die Belegschaft vertreten' (to represent the workforce), for example through a works council.
EXAMPLE
Der Betriebsrat vertritt die Interessen der gesamten Belegschaft.
The works council represents the interests of the entire workforce.
Compare with
Belegschaft vs Leute
people
'die Leute' and 'die Belegschaft' can both refer to a group of people. However, 'die Leute' is much more general and fits many everyday situations: people on the street, guests at a party, or the people from a specific group. 'die Belegschaft' more specifically means all the employees in a company or organization. Learners may confuse the words because at work you can also talk about 'den Leuten' (the people). But if you are speaking officially or precisely about all employees, 'die Belegschaft' is more natural.
Belegschaft
Die Belegschaft wurde heute über die neuen Arbeitszeiten informiert.
The workforce was informed today about the new working hours.
Leute
Nach dem Gespräch blieben die Leute noch eine Weile vor dem Haus stehen.
After the conversation, the people stayed in front of the house for a while.
In real life
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