Noun
der Mittelstand
Pronunciation: /ˈmɪtl̩ˌʃtant/
the middle class
C1
rank #5,814
Meanings
Noun
- the middle class
- small and medium-sized businesses; independent tradespeople and entrepreneurs
Example sentence
Sie gehörten zum Mittelstand.
They were members of the middle class.
Word forms
singular
der Mittelstand
No common plural.
The four cases
Singular
Nominativeder Mittelstand
Accusativeden Mittelstand
Dativedem Mittelstand
Genitivedes Mittelstands
Mittelstand has no common plural.
Usage
- zum Mittelstand gehören — Belong to the middle social class in this sense.
- Mittelstand / mittelständische Unternehmen — The social-class sense versus the business use for small and medium-sized firms.
Die Familie zählte damals zum städtischen Mittelstand.
The family belonged to the urban middle class at the time.