Anführer

leader

noun AHN-fue-rer Less Common

Also means

ringleader

Usage Note

Anführer is a leader of a group, gang, or movement, and often carries a slightly negative 'ringleader' tint compared with the neutral Leiter or Führer. The female form is Anführerin and the plural is unchanged, die Anführer. From separable anführen (to lead).

Examples

"Der Anführer gibt die Befehle."

Natural Translation

The leader gives the orders.

Literal Translation

The leader gives the orders.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Two-Way Prepositions: Accusative or Dative?

Use accusative for movement into a place (wohin?) and dative for a fixed location (wo?). Master all nine German two-way prepositions with one simple test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Der, Die, Das: Rules to Guess German Gender

German noun gender rules made simple: check the suffix first, then meaning. Endings like -ung, -chen, and -ling predict der, die, or das with ~90% accuracy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Numbers 1–100: Why 21 Is Said Backwards

German numbers 1 to 100 reverse the digits: 21 is einundzwanzig (one-and-twenty). Learn the und rule, the irregulars, and how to hear prices fast.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Compound Words: How to Read Any Long Word

Read any long German word by working right-to-left: the last noun sets the meaning and gender, and the small linking letters are just glue. Here's the drill.

June 9, 2026 6 min read