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'Fachleute', not 'Fachmänner': group plurals of words ending in '-mann'

Many German nouns for jobs and roles end in -mann: Fachmann, Kaufmann, Seemann, Zimmermann. You might expect the plural to be -männer, since Mann becomes Männer. For a whole group of these words, though, German swaps -mann for -leute (people): one Fachmann, several Fachleute.

English speakers trip over this because English simply changes -man to -men (businessman, businessmen). German does that too for some words, but for the words in this article -leute is the normal plural. Saying Kaufmänner or Seemänner sounds odd or old-fashioned to a native speaker.

Word list
FeuerwehrmannmA2 firefighter plural: die Feuerwehrleute (also Feuerwehrmänner) GeschäftsmannmA2 businessman plural: die Geschäftsleute FachmannmB1 expert plural: die Fachleute KaufmannmB1 merchant plural: die Kaufleute SeemannmB1 sailor plural: die Seeleute ZimmermannmB1 carpenter plural: die Zimmerleute BergmannmB2 miner plural: die Bergleute EdelmannmB2 nobleman plural: die Edelleute LandsmannmB2 compatriot plural: die Landsleute KameramannmC1 cinematographer plural: die Kameraleute (also Kameramänner)
How it works

The singular ends in -mann and is masculine: der Fachmann. The plural replaces that ending with -leute: die Fachleute. Leute is a plural-only word, so these plurals never have a singular form of their own. In the dative plural they add -n, like any plural: mit den Fachleuten.

A useful side effect is that -leute is neutral. It refers to people in general, so a group of Fachleute can include women and men. That makes these plurals handy for mixed teams. For one woman you use the -frau form: Fachfrau, Geschäftsfrau, Kauffrau, Feuerwehrfrau.

This is not an automatic rule for every -mann word. It is a fixed habit of certain words, usually those naming a profession, a trade or a social group. You learn the plural together with the word.

Wir brauchen einen Fachmann oder eine Fachfrau.
(We need an expert.)
Mehrere Fachleute haben sich schon gemeldet.
(Several experts have already responded.)
The words
Work and business

Geschäftsmann becomes Geschäftsleute, and Kaufmann becomes Kaufleute. Feuerwehrmann usually becomes Feuerwehrleute, although Feuerwehrmänner is also common in everyday speech.

Im Hotel wohnen fast nur Geschäftsleute.
(Almost only businesspeople are staying at the hotel.)
Die Kaufleute der Stadt treffen sich jeden Monat.
(The town's merchants meet every month.)
Die Feuerwehrleute waren schnell vor Ort.
(The firefighters were quickly on the scene.)
Traditional trades

Seemann becomes Seeleute, Zimmermann becomes Zimmerleute and Bergmann becomes Bergleute. A Zimmermann builds large wooden structures such as roofs, not furniture.

Viele Seeleute sind monatelang nicht zu Hause.
(Many sailors are away from home for months.)
Die Zimmerleute bauen gerade das Dach.
(The carpenters are building the roof right now.)
Früher arbeiteten hier Tausende Bergleute unter der Erde.
(Thousands of miners used to work underground here.)
Social groups and origin

Edelmann becomes Edelleute, and Landsmann becomes Landsleute, meaning people from your own country. The old military rank Hauptmann (captain) works the same way: Hauptleute.

Im Mittelalter lebten die Edelleute auf Burgen.
(In the Middle Ages, the nobles lived in castles.)
Im Urlaub habe ich viele Landsleute getroffen.
(On holiday I met lots of people from my own country.)
Film and media

Kameramann has two plurals: Kameraleute and Kameramänner. Kameraleute is the safer choice for a mixed crew.

Bei dem Konzert waren fünf Kameraleute im Einsatz.
(Five camera operators were working at the concert.)
Watch out

Do not turn every -mann into -leute. When Mann really means an adult male, or the word is not about a job or group, the plural stays -männer. A snowman is not a profession, so it is Schneemänner.

Die Kinder haben drei Schneemänner gebaut.
(The children built three snowmen.)

Ehemann (husband) is a trap. Several husbands are Ehemänner. The word Eheleute exists, but it means a married couple, husband and wife together.

Die Ehemänner warteten vor dem Geschäft.
(The husbands waited outside the shop.)
Die Eheleute feiern ihren zehnten Hochzeitstag.
(The married couple are celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary.)

Borrowed English words keep their English plural: Gentleman becomes Gentlemen, never Gentleleute.

Summary

When a -mann noun names a profession, a trade or a group of people, its plural is usually -leute: Fachleute, Geschäftsleute, Kaufleute, Seeleute, Landsleute. These plurals sound natural for mixed groups too. When Mann really means a man, as in Ehemänner, or the word is not about people at all, as in Schneemänner, keep -männer. When in doubt, learn the plural together with the word.