compatriot
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compatriot
A male person who comes from the same country or nation as oneself. The female form is 'die Landsmännin' (female compatriot).
Im Urlaub habe ich zufällig einen Landsmann aus meiner Heimatstadt getroffen.
On vacation, I happened to meet a compatriot from my hometown.
countryman
In older or regional language, a person who comes from the same area or from the countryside, as opposed to the city.
Der alte Bauer begrüßte seinen Nachbarn als werten Landsmann.
The old farmer greeted his neighbor as a worthy countryman.
fraternity member
A member of a student fraternity known as a 'Landsmannschaft'.
Als junger Student trat er einer Landsmannschaft bei und fand dort Freunde fürs Leben.
As a young student, he joined a Landsmannschaft and found lifelong friends there.
The word is composed of 'Land' (country), the linking '-s', and 'Mann' (man). It literally means 'man from the same country'.
Er erkannte am Dialekt sofort, dass der andere sein Landsmann war.
He immediately recognized from the dialect that the other man was his compatriot.
The plural of 'Landsmann' is 'Landsmänner', but the form 'Landsleute' is used much more often. 'Landsleute' is gender-neutral and includes all people from a country.
Der Präsident richtete eine Ansprache an seine Landsleute.
The president addressed his compatriots.
The meaning 'person from the same region' is outdated today or used only in rural, traditional contexts. In modern German, 'Landsmann' almost always refers to nationality.
In dem alten Roman werden die Dorfbewohner als Landsleute bezeichnet.
In the old novel, the villagers are referred to as countryfolk.
The meaning 'member of a student fraternity' is very specific. You can recognize it because the context always has to do with universities, studying, or the term 'Landsmannschaft'.
Sein Großvater war zu Studienzeiten auch schon Landsmann in Heidelberg.
His grandfather had also been a Landsmann in Heidelberg during his student days.
citizen
Staatsbürger refers to belonging to a state, while Landsmann expresses shared origins in the same country or nation. A person can therefore be a Staatsbürger of a country without being the Landsmann of someone born there.
Für den ebenfalls aus Syrien stammenden Samir ist Amir ein Landsmann.
To Samir, who is also from Syria, Amir is a compatriot.
Nach seiner Einbürgerung ist Amir Staatsbürger Deutschlands.
After being naturalized, Amir is a citizen of Germany.
