municipality / community
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municipality
A political-administrative unit; a town or village with its own administration.
Die Gemeinde investiert in den Bau eines neuen Kindergartens.
The municipality is investing in the construction of a new kindergarten.
congregation
A group of people connected by a shared faith; a church congregation or religious community.
Nach dem Gottesdienst trifft sich die Gemeinde zum Kaffee im Pfarrheim.
After the church service, the congregation meets for coffee in the parish hall.
community
A group of people with shared interests, characteristics, or goals.
Die wissenschaftliche Gemeinde diskutiert die neuen Erkenntnisse kontrovers.
The scientific community is discussing the new findings controversially.
The word 'Gemeinde' (municipality/community) is closely related to the adjective 'gemeinsam' (shared/common). It always describes a group of people who share something—whether a place of residence, a faith, or a common interest.
Alle Mitglieder der Gemeinde haben ein gemeinsames Ziel.
All members of the community have a common goal.
The context makes clear which kind of 'Gemeinde' (municipality/community) is meant. Words like 'Rathaus' (town hall) or 'Bürgermeister' (mayor) point to the political unit, while 'Kirche' (church) or 'Gottesdienst' (church service) refer to the religious community.
Der Bürgermeister sprach zu den Bürgern seiner Gemeinde.
The mayor spoke to the citizens of his municipality.
In the political and administrative sense, 'Gemeinde' (municipality) is often combined with verbs and nouns from administration. Typical phrases are 'einer Gemeinde angehören' (to belong to a municipality), 'Steuern an die Gemeinde zahlen' (to pay taxes to the municipality), or 'Einwohner einer Gemeinde sein' (to be a resident of a municipality).
Jeder, der hier wohnt, ist offiziell Einwohner der Gemeinde.
Everyone who lives here is officially a resident of the municipality.
To describe a group with shared interests, 'Gemeinde' (community) is often combined with an adjective or another noun. Common examples are 'die wissenschaftliche Gemeinde' (the scientific community), 'die Fangemeinde' (the fan community), or 'die Online-Gemeinde' (the online community).
Die internationale Fangemeinde der Serie diskutiert online über das Finale.
The series' international fan community is discussing the finale online.
city
Stadt can refer to the administration or government of a particular city. Gemeinde is the more general term for a political-administrative unit and can refer to either a city or a village. Use Stadt when the specific city administration is meant, and Gemeinde in general administrative language.
Die Gemeinde repariert in diesem Jahr die Straßen im Dorf.
The municipality is repairing the roads in the village this year.
Die Stadt repariert in diesem Jahr die Straßen im Zentrum.
The city is repairing the roads in the center this year.
