It’s the crowd at a festival, the voting public, the subject of speeches—and sometimes, a heavy word from history. In German, it’s das Volk. This is your German word of the day, and it carries a lot more weight than just “people.”
The noun Volk means people, nation, or the public, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. You’ll encounter it in political language, historical documents, fairy tales, and modern slogans.
It’s a neuter noun, so we say das Volk (still unclear on gender? Our quick, no-nonsense video guide will make it all click: https://deutschable.com/course/lesson-3-3/).
Pronunciation
Volk is pronounced [folk], like the English word folk.
- The V is an F sound,
- The o is short, like in pot,
- The lk is hard and clipped
- One syllable: FOLK (rhymes with “yolk” in some dialects)
It’s simple to pronounce, but conceptually complex.
Example sentences:
Das Volk hat entschieden.
The people have decided.
Ein Märchen aus dem Volk.
A folk tale from the people.
Nuance and usage tips
Volk refers to:
- The people as a whole – citizens, a nation
- das deutsche Volk – the German people
- Volksentscheid – public referendum
- An ethnic group or nation
- ein fremdes Volk – a foreign people
- Urvölker – indigenous peoples
- Common people / the masses
- das einfache Volk – the ordinary people
- Cultural identity – often seen in compound words
- Volksmusik – folk music
- Volksfest – folk festival
- Volkswagen – “people’s car”
⚠️ Important note: Because of its use in Nazi propaganda (“Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer”), the word Volk can carry political or emotional weight, especially when used in certain nationalistic contexts. In everyday speech, however, it’s still used in many neutral, cultural, or bureaucratic expressions.
How does this word come up in real conversations?
Beginners will see Volk most often in compound words like:
- Volksentscheid – public referendum
- Volkswagen – the car brand
- Volksfest – local festival (like Oktoberfest)
You’ll also hear it in phrases like:
“Das Volk will Veränderung.” – The people want change.
“Er ist ein Mann aus dem Volk.” – He’s a man of the people.
It’s more formal than “Leute” (folks, people) and leans toward public or collective meanings.
Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)
Ben: Warum heißt es Volkswagen?
Mila: Weil es ursprünglich ein Auto für das Volk war.
Ben: Also für alle Leute?
Mila: Genau – einfach, günstig und praktisch.
Ben: Why is it called Volkswagen?
Mila: Because it was originally a car for the people.
Ben: So for everyone?
Mila: Exactly—simple, affordable, and practical.
Grammatical case examples:
Nominative:
Das Volk war unzufrieden.
The people were dissatisfied.
Accusative:
Er führte das Volk in die Stadt.
He led the people into the city.
Dative:
Mit dem Volk sprach niemand offen.
No one spoke openly with the people.
Genitive:
Die Stimme des Volkes wurde laut.
The voice of the people grew louder.
Neuter case pattern: das, das, dem, des
Word variations and language tidbits
Some common and useful compounds:
- Volkslied – folk song
- Volkskunst – folk art
- Volksglaube – folk belief
- Volkszählung – census
- Volkswirtschaft – national economy
- Volkshochschule – adult education center (literally: "people's high school")
Softer synonyms:
- die Leute – people (neutral, conversational)
- die Bevölkerung – population
- die Gesellschaft – society
📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Volk
🎥 Learn Volk and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free online video course: https://deutschable.com/nouns/
Ready for more German words of the day? Do you know what Vogel means? How about Vorfall? Find out!