Fräulein

See also: fräulein, fraulein, and Fraulein

German

Etymology

Middle High German vrouwelīn (“mistress, young unmarried noblewoman”), equivalent to Frau +‎ -lein

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈfʁɔɪ̯laɪ̯n/ (standard)
  • IPA(key): /ˈfʁɔlaɪ̯n/ (colloquially, especially northern and central Germany)
  • Audio(file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪ̯n

Noun

Fräulein n (strong, genitive Fräuleins, plural Fräuleins or Fräulein)

  1. Diminutive of Frau (but not freely applicable)
  2. (dated, address for an unmarried woman) miss
    Guten Morgen, Fräulein Schmitz! ― Good morning, Miss Schmitz!
  3. miss, young woman (especially a shop assistant)
    Würden Sie mir kurz helfen, junges Fräulein! ― Would you help me please, miss!
  4. young lady, missy (said jokingly or rebukingly to a little girl)
    So, jetzt reicht's aber, Fräulein! ― All right, that's enough, young lady!
  5. (obsolete) A female animal or person

Usage notes
  • Fräulein as a formal address for an unmarried woman is now uncommon and considered disrespectful and sexist by some. Frau is the normal address for all women.
  • As an informal address for a girl or young woman whose name one does not know, particularly a shop assistant, the word is still fairly common, though chiefly restricted to older speakers. It is generally advised that it be replaced by Frau in all instances.

Declension
Declension of Fräulein [neuter, strong]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein das Fräulein die Fräuleins, Fräulein
genitive eines des Fräuleins der Fräuleins, Fräulein
dative einem dem Fräulein den Fräuleins, Fräulein
accusative ein das Fräulein die Fräuleins, Fräulein

Descendants
  • → English: fraulein, Fraulein
  • → Esperanto: fraŭlino
  • → Georgian: ფრეილინა (preilina)
  • → Kashubian: frélëna
  • → Russian: фро́йляйн (frójljajn), фре́йлина (frɛ́jlina)
  • → Serbo-Croatian:
    Cyrillic script: фра̏јла
    Latin script: frȁjla

Further reading
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