01
der Ratsherr
councilman
The masculine form for an elected member of a city or municipal council.
example
Die Ratsherren und Ratsfrauen stimmten über den neuen Haushalt ab.
The councilmen and councilwomen voted on the new budget.
der Ratsherr
councilman
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word composition
The word is made up of 'Rat' (council, in the sense of city council), the linking -s, and 'Herr' (man/gentleman). So it literally means a 'man of the council' or 'council-man'.
EXAMPLE
Der älteste Ratsherr der Stadt wurde für seine langjährige Arbeit geehrt.
The city's oldest councilman was honored for his many years of work.
Register
'Ratsherr' (councilman) is an official, formal term from the field of politics and administration. You will hear it less often in everyday conversation.
EXAMPLE
In der Satzung der Stadt sind die Pflichten eines Ratsherrn genau festgelegt.
The duties of a councilman are precisely defined in the city's statutes.
Typical use
In modern official language, both gender forms are often mentioned together for reasons of equality, in order to address all members of the council.
EXAMPLE
Zur Sitzung erschienen alle Ratsherren und Ratsfrauen pünktlich.
All councilmen and councilwomen arrived on time for the meeting.
Compare with
Ratsherr vs Rat
advice / council
'der Rat' and 'der Ratsherr' are closely related, but they do not mean the same thing. 'der Rat' is the whole council, for example in a city or municipality. 'der Ratsherr' is one individual male person who is a member of that council. The words can be confused because 'Ratsherr' contains the word 'Rat'. The important point is the direction: the council consists of several members; a 'Ratsherr' is only one of those members.
Ratsherr
Vor der Sitzung fragt Sofia den Ratsherrn nach seiner Meinung zum Projekt.
Before the meeting, Sofia asks the councilman for his opinion on the project.
Rat
Im Rathaus bespricht der Rat die Kosten für die neue Brücke.
At city hall, the council discusses the costs of the new bridge.
In real life
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