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.
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The meaning 'person from the same region' is outdated today or used only in rural, traditional contexts.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.
fellow citizen
'der Mitbürger' and 'der Landsmann' both refer to people with whom you share a common belonging. 'Mitbürger' means someone who lives in the same state, city, or municipality and belongs there as a citizen. The word often sounds official or polite. 'Landsmann' means a man from the same country as oneself; the female form is 'Landsmännin'. The words can be confused because both have to do with shared origin or community. For living in the same city or state, 'Mitbürger' fits; for the same national origin, 'Landsmann' fits.
Im Ausland traf Mehmet einen Landsmann und sprach sofort Türkisch mit ihm.
Abroad, Mehmet met a compatriot and immediately spoke Turkish with him.
Die Stadt bittet alle Mitbürger, den neuen Park sauber zu halten.
The city asks all fellow citizens to keep the new park clean.