subject
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subject
A person who is subject to the rule of a monarch or government and owes obedience. Today, the term is mostly used in a historical context.
Der König verlangte von seinen Untertanen unbedingten Gehorsam.
The king demanded absolute obedience from his subjects.
The word derives from 'untertan sein' (to be subject to), which means 'unterworfen sein' (to be subjugated). It describes a person who is 'untergeordnet' (subordinate) to the power of another person.
Die Bevölkerung war dem Willen des Herrschers untertan.
The population was subject to the ruler's will.
In its original meaning, 'Untertan' (subject) is now used almost exclusively in historical contexts when talking about monarchies, kingdoms, or empires.
In den Geschichtsbüchern lasen wir über das Leben der Untertanen im Mittelalter.
In our history books, we read about the lives of subjects in the Middle Ages.
In modern usage, 'Untertan' (submissive subject) is a strongly derogatory term. It criticizes a person for their lack of moral courage and their uncritical, submissive attitude toward authorities.
Sie kritisierte ihren Kollegen als Duckmäuser und willenlosen Untertan der Geschäftsführung.
She criticized her colleague as a coward and a spineless subject of management.
The negative meaning of the word was strongly shaped by the novel 'Der Untertan' (The Subject) by Heinrich Mann (1918). The book is a famous satire of the authority-obedient bourgeois type in the German Empire.
Im Deutschunterricht haben wir Heinrich Manns Roman „Der Untertan“ analysiert.
In German class, we analyzed Heinrich Mann's novel 'Der Untertan' (The Subject).
citizen
'der Bürger' and 'der Untertan' can show a contrast when it comes to the relationship to the state or to rule. 'Bürger' emphasizes rights, duties, and often also one’s own participation in decision-making. 'Untertan' emphasizes obedience to a ruler or an authority. Today, the word is mostly used historically or derogatorily when someone behaves too submissively. Learners may confuse the words because both can refer to people in a state. In modern political contexts, 'Bürger' usually fits; 'Untertan' is more appropriate for kings, old systems of rule, or criticism of blind obedience.
Im Geschichtsunterricht lernen wir, dass die Untertanen dem König gehorchen mussten.
In history class, we learn that the subjects had to obey the king.
In einer Demokratie sollen Bürger ihre Meinung frei sagen können.
In a democracy, citizens should be able to express their opinions freely.