What’s the demonym for a citizen of the European Union in your language?
July 27, 2025
And if there isn’t one, what would you propose?
And yes, your citizenship is from the specific country, not the EU per se, but it would still be nice to have a word that clearly references all EU citizens.
30 comments
EU-borger – literal meaning EU-citizen.
Citizen of European Union (građanin Europske unije)
Edit: grammatically incorrect “EU građanin” instead of “Građanin EU-a” can be seen sometimes, due to the influence of English
Your disclaimer wasn’t needed. People in the EU do actually have EU citizenship. It is an official legal status and does come with its own rights.
They are just ‘EU Citizens’ in Britain, or possibly ‘Europeans’ if the context is clear.
Europeu in Portugal / Europeo in Spain
*Comunitario* (*extracomunitario* is used more often, to talk about non-EU stuff), presumably from when it was the ECC. *Europeo* is also generally understood to be EU-related in many contexts.
“Cetățean european” – European citizen.
This seems to be the term even in official documents.
It’s not entirely accurate, sure, but I like to believe that it’s not entirely accurate _yet_.
EU-Bürger in German and yes, an eu citizenship exists. It comes with its own rights as well.
[removed]
EU-kansalainen, lit. “EU citizen”.
Saoránach den Aontas Eorpach / Saoránach den AE
The Irish word for citizen, ‘saoránach’, has the same root as the word for freedom, ‘saoirse’. ‘Saor’ on its own means ‘free’.
In Dutch Eu-burger: EU citizen
Or sometimes Europese burger: European citizen is used.
The bureaucratic terms in Greek as spoken in Cyprus are “πολίτης της (Ευρωπαϊκής) Ένωσης”, *citizen of the (European) Union* and as a single-word adjective “κοινοτικός” (communal). The latter is a relic from when it used to be called the European Community.
In daily speech, you’ll definitely hear “Ευρωπαίος” (European) be used as a shorthand.
Oh, that‘s easy!
It‘s *Unionsbürger*, translating to „citizen of the Union“.
It European citizenship is an actual legal thing and status, as laid out in in Art. 20 paragraph 1 TFEU, which is also where the term *Unionsbürger* appears:
*1. Citizenship of the Union is hereby established. Every person holding the nationality of a Member State shall be a citizen of the Union.* *Citizenship of the Union shall be additional to and not replace national citizenship.*
And in German, Art. 20 Abs 1 AEUV:
*(1) Es wird eine Unionsbürgerschaft eingeführt.* *Unionsbürger ist, wer die Staatsangehörigkeit eines Mitgliedstaats besitzt.* *Die Unionsbürgerschaft tritt zur nationalen Staatsbürgerschaft hinzu, ersetzt sie aber nicht.*
There isn’t one. You would say obywatel unii europejskiej so citizen of the EU.
Europejczyk/Europejka is for the whole continent so maybe Unijczyk/Unijka but that feels weird.
Uninonsmedborgare – Uninon citizen
EU medborgare – EU citizen
Europé – European (although this would, without context refer to anyone from Europe)
Europietis (male)
Europiete (female)
Cetățean european = European citizen. It’s incorrect, since not all Europe is in the EU, but everyone knows it refers to the EU.
Europan? not sure if there is one
Saoránach de chuid an Aontas Eorpach
EU-Burger. So much the same as German.
Občan Evropské unie.
According Germany, official: “Unionsbürger”. But most people use “EU-Bürger” in everyday speech. And yes, it comes with its own official rights.
Evropan (European), has the same issue as using American for US citizens though.
EU citizen, eu medborgare
Cidadã(o) Europeia/Europeu – European Citizen.
Državljan EU (citizen of the EU).
It’s completely made up but I’ve always liked “European” for the someone resident wider Europe and E-Uropean for a EU citizen.
Europejczyk Europejka etc. and EU citizenship is a thing, it’s granted to holders of member state citizens
Your disclaimer doesn’t make sense. If you are a citizen of a country which is part of the EU, you are also automatically an EU citizen. Just as much so, every right to be called so, and just as valid.
30 comments
EU-borger – literal meaning EU-citizen.
Citizen of European Union (građanin Europske unije)
Edit: grammatically incorrect “EU građanin” instead of “Građanin EU-a” can be seen sometimes, due to the influence of English
Your disclaimer wasn’t needed. People in the EU do actually have EU citizenship. It is an official legal status and does come with its own rights.
They are just ‘EU Citizens’ in Britain, or possibly ‘Europeans’ if the context is clear.
Europeu in Portugal / Europeo in Spain
*Comunitario* (*extracomunitario* is used more often, to talk about non-EU stuff), presumably from when it was the ECC. *Europeo* is also generally understood to be EU-related in many contexts.
“Cetățean european” – European citizen.
This seems to be the term even in official documents.
It’s not entirely accurate, sure, but I like to believe that it’s not entirely accurate _yet_.
EU-Bürger in German and yes, an eu citizenship exists. It comes with its own rights as well.
[removed]
EU-kansalainen, lit. “EU citizen”.
Saoránach den Aontas Eorpach / Saoránach den AE
The Irish word for citizen, ‘saoránach’, has the same root as the word for freedom, ‘saoirse’. ‘Saor’ on its own means ‘free’.
In Dutch Eu-burger: EU citizen
Or sometimes Europese burger: European citizen is used.
The bureaucratic terms in Greek as spoken in Cyprus are “πολίτης της (Ευρωπαϊκής) Ένωσης”, *citizen of the (European) Union* and as a single-word adjective “κοινοτικός” (communal). The latter is a relic from when it used to be called the European Community.
In daily speech, you’ll definitely hear “Ευρωπαίος” (European) be used as a shorthand.
Oh, that‘s easy!
It‘s *Unionsbürger*, translating to „citizen of the Union“.
It European citizenship is an actual legal thing and status, as laid out in in Art. 20 paragraph 1 TFEU, which is also where the term *Unionsbürger* appears:
*1. Citizenship of the Union is hereby established. Every person holding the nationality of a Member State shall be a citizen of the Union.* *Citizenship of the Union shall be additional to and not replace national citizenship.*
And in German, Art. 20 Abs 1 AEUV:
*(1) Es wird eine Unionsbürgerschaft eingeführt.* *Unionsbürger ist, wer die Staatsangehörigkeit eines Mitgliedstaats besitzt.* *Die Unionsbürgerschaft tritt zur nationalen Staatsbürgerschaft hinzu, ersetzt sie aber nicht.*
There isn’t one. You would say obywatel unii europejskiej so citizen of the EU.
Europejczyk/Europejka is for the whole continent so maybe Unijczyk/Unijka but that feels weird.
Uninonsmedborgare – Uninon citizen
EU medborgare – EU citizen
Europé – European (although this would, without context refer to anyone from Europe)
Europietis (male)
Europiete (female)
Cetățean european = European citizen. It’s incorrect, since not all Europe is in the EU, but everyone knows it refers to the EU.
Europan? not sure if there is one
Saoránach de chuid an Aontas Eorpach
EU-Burger. So much the same as German.
Občan Evropské unie.
According Germany, official: “Unionsbürger”. But most people use “EU-Bürger” in everyday speech. And yes, it comes with its own official rights.
Evropan (European), has the same issue as using American for US citizens though.
EU citizen, eu medborgare
Cidadã(o) Europeia/Europeu – European Citizen.
Državljan EU (citizen of the EU).
It’s completely made up but I’ve always liked “European” for the someone resident wider Europe and E-Uropean for a EU citizen.
Europejczyk Europejka etc. and EU citizenship is a thing, it’s granted to holders of member state citizens
Your disclaimer doesn’t make sense. If you are a citizen of a country which is part of the EU, you are also automatically an EU citizen. Just as much so, every right to be called so, and just as valid.