01
der Gründer
founder
A person who brings something into existence or establishes it, especially a company, organization, or city.
example
Bill Gates ist einer der Gründer von Microsoft.
Bill Gates is one of the founders of Microsoft.
der Gründer
founder
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word family
'Der Gründer' (the founder) is the person who carries out an action described by the verb 'gründen' (to found). A founder is therefore someone who founds something.
EXAMPLE
Er träumt davon, eines Tages selbst ein Unternehmen zu gründen.
He dreams of founding a company himself one day.
Grammatical connection
To say what was founded, you usually use the genitive or the preposition 'von' (of/from). For example: 'der Gründer des Unternehmens' (the founder of the company) or 'der Gründer von dem Unternehmen' (the founder of the company).
EXAMPLE
Steve Jobs war der Gründer von Apple.
Steve Jobs was the founder of Apple.
Typical compounds
The word 'Gründer' (founder) is often used as the second part of compound nouns to specify the type of founder, e.g. 'Firmengründer' (company founder), 'Unternehmensgründer' (business founder), or 'Stadtgründer' (city founder).
EXAMPLE
Als Firmengründer trägt man viel Verantwortung.
As a company founder, you carry a lot of responsibility.
Compare with
Gründer vs Vater
father
'der Vater' and 'der Gründer' can both mean a person who started or created something important. 'Gründer' is the normal word when someone establishes a company, organization, or city. 'Vater' is used more figuratively in this meaning, for example 'der Vater einer Idee' (the father of an idea) or 'der Vater einer Bewegung' (the father of a movement). It sounds more like an expression of appreciation and not as factual as 'Gründer'. The words can be confused because both point to the origin of something. For concrete foundations, 'Gründer' is usually more precise; 'Vater' fits better in figurative or solemn phrasing.
Gründer
Der Gründer der Firma arbeitet noch jeden Tag im Büro.
The founder of the company still works in the office every day.
Vater
Viele nennen ihn den Vater dieser neuen Idee.
Many call him the father of this new idea.
In real life
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