ethnic group
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ethnic group
A community of people connected by shared characteristics such as language, culture, or origin, and often living as a minority within a state.
In Südtirol lebt eine deutschsprachige Volksgruppe.
A German-speaking ethnic group lives in South Tyrol.
The word is made up of 'das Volk' (the people, nation) and 'die Gruppe' (the group), connected by an 's'. So it literally describes a group that defines itself through its belonging to a particular people or nation.
Die Rechte der Volksgruppen sind in der Verfassung verankert.
The rights of ethnic groups are enshrined in the constitution.
Common adjectives in this context are 'anerkannte' (recognized), 'nationale' (national), 'ethnische' (ethnic), or 'sprachliche' (linguistic) with 'Volksgruppe' (ethnic group). A typical verb phrase is 'einer Volksgruppe angehören' (to belong to an ethnic group).
Die Sorben sind eine anerkannte nationale Volksgruppe in Deutschland.
The Sorbs are a recognized national ethnic group in Germany.
'Volksgruppe' (ethnic group) is a neutral and rather formal term from politics, law, and sociology. It is used especially when discussing the rights and protection of minorities.
Das Gesetz schützt die Kultur und Sprache der ansässigen Volksgruppen.
The law protects the culture and language of the resident ethnic groups.
people / nation
'das Volk' and 'die Volksgruppe' can both mean a community of people connected by language, culture, or history. However, 'das Volk' is often larger and can also mean all the citizens of a state. 'die Volksgruppe' more specifically means a particular group within a larger society or state, often a minority. Learners may confuse the words because both have to do with origin and culture. As a simple guide: for a whole country or nation, 'Volk' often fits; for a smaller cultural group within a country, 'Volksgruppe' is more appropriate.
In der Schule lernen die Kinder etwas über die Sprache dieser Volksgruppe.
At school, the children learn something about the language of this ethnic group.
Das Volk wählte am Sonntag ein neues Parlament.
The people elected a new parliament on Sunday.