miners
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miners
The plural form for people (mostly men, but also women) who work professionally in a mine to extract raw materials such as coal, ores, or salt.
Früher arbeiteten Tausende Bergleute in den Zechen des Ruhrgebiets.
In the past, thousands of miners worked in the collieries of the Ruhr region.
'Bergleute' (miners) is made up of 'Berg' (mountain) and 'Leute' (people). It literally means 'mountain people' and refers to people who work in a mountain, that is, in a mine.
Die Arbeit der Bergleute war extrem hart und gefährlich.
The work of the miners was extremely hard and dangerous.
The ending '-leute' forms a collective plural for groups of people, often for professions. This term is gender-neutral and includes all people in this profession.
Auch Feuerwehrleute und Kaufleute sind solche Sammelbegriffe.
Firefighters and businesspeople are also collective terms like this.
The word belongs to the word family around mining. Related terms are 'der Bergbau' (mining/the mining industry) and 'das Bergwerk' (the place, the mine).
Der Bergbau hat die Region über Jahrhunderte geprägt.
Mining shaped the region for centuries.
Miners have great historical and cultural significance in Germany, especially in regions such as the Ruhr area or the Ore Mountains. The profession is associated with many traditions.
Zum Abschied sangen die Bergleute ihr traditionelles Lied.
As a farewell, the miners sang their traditional song.
buddy / miner
'der Kumpel' and 'die Bergleute' can both refer to people who work in mining. In this meaning, 'Kumpel' is a traditional term for a miner. Today, however, many learners know 'Kumpel' more as a casual word for a friend. 'Bergleute', by contrast, is the neutral plural form for people who work professionally in a mine. The words can be confused because 'Kumpel' can have two different meanings. When speaking clearly and factually about the profession, 'Bergleute' is usually more precise. 'Kumpel' fits better in historical or colloquial mining contexts.
Im Museum erfährt man, wie die Bergleute früher Kohle abgebaut haben.
In the museum, you can learn how miners used to extract coal.
Früher arbeitete mein Großvater als Kumpel unter Tage.
In the past, my grandfather worked underground as a miner.