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Bürgerpflicht

civic duty

noun BUER-ger-pflicht Rare
People & Society Values

Usage Note

Bürgerpflicht refers to the obligations that citizens owe to their community and state, such as voting, paying taxes, or doing jury service. Voting is often described as heilige Bürgerpflicht (sacred civic duty) in German political culture, though Germany has no formal voting obligation.

Examples

"Zur Wahl zu gehen ist eine Bürgerpflicht, die man nicht leichtfertig vernachlässigen sollte."

Natural Translation

Going to vote is a civic duty one should not neglect lightly.

Literal Translation

To the election to go is a civic-duty that one not lightly neglect should.

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