das Mitglied
member
A person who belongs to a group, club, organization, or family.
EXAMPLE
Jedes Mitglied des Vereins muss einen Jahresbeitrag zahlen.
Every member of the club has to pay an annual fee.
das Mitglied
member
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
das Mitglied
limb
A body part, especially an arm or a leg. This meaning is outdated and is hardly used today.
EXAMPLE
Nach der langen Wanderung streckte er seine müden Mitglieder aus.
After the long hike, he stretched out his tired limbs.
Usage tips
Word structure
The word consists of 'Mit-' and 'Glied'. 'Mit' means 'together/with', and a 'Glied' is a part of a whole (like a link in a chain). So a member is literally a 'part that belongs to it'.
EXAMPLE
Als neues Mitglied fühlte er sich schnell in der Gruppe willkommen.
As a new member, he quickly felt welcome in the group.
Grammatical gender
Although 'das Mitglied' (member) refers to people (male, female, diverse), the word is grammatically neuter. It always remains 'das Mitglied', regardless of the person's gender.
EXAMPLE
Sie ist seit zehn Jahren Mitglied in unserem Chor.
She has been a member of our choir for ten years.
Correct preposition
You are 'Mitglied in' (a member in/of) a group in which you are active (e.g., a club), or 'Mitglied von' (a member of) a larger organization. Often both prepositions are possible.
EXAMPLE
Er ist Mitglied im Schachklub.
He is a member of the chess club.
Typical collocations
Common verbs used with 'Mitglied' (member) are 'Mitglied werden' (to become a member), 'Mitglied sein' (to be a member), and 'als Mitglied austreten' (to resign/withdraw as a member).
EXAMPLE
Möchtest du Mitglied in unserem Fitnessstudio werden?
Would you like to become a member of our gym?
Register
The meaning 'body part' is outdated (archaic). You will only find it in very old literature. It is no longer used in modern language.
EXAMPLE
Der Ritter schützte seine Mitglieder mit einer Rüstung.
The knight protected his limbs with armor.
Compare with
Mitglied vs Genosse
comrade
Both words can refer to a person who belongs to a political party. Mitglied is the neutral term, whereas Genosse or Genossin is politically and historically marked and is used especially for socialist, social democratic, or communist parties. Mitglied is usually more appropriate for a factual statement.
Mitglied
Lena ist seit Jahren Mitglied der kommunistischen Partei.
Lena has been a member of the communist party for years.
Genosse
Lena ist seit Jahren Genossin der kommunistischen Partei.
Lena has been a comrade in the communist party for years.
In real life
Loading video examples...