böses Mädchen
In German, 'bad girl' is translated as böses Mädchen.
The phrase refers to a girl or young woman who behaves badly or disobeys rules. Depending on the context, it can also imply that a girl is morally evil.
Which one should you use?
The singular form is böses Mädchen, while the plural form for 'bad girls' is böse Mädchen.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the neuter form of the adjective böse to match the neuter gender of the noun Mädchen.
Did you know?
- The adjective böse can mean 'bad' in a moral sense, but it is also the standard way to say 'angry' in many German contexts.
- The word Mädchen is historically related to Magd, a word used to describe a maid or a servant.
- Because Mädchen is a diminutive, calling a grown woman a böses Mädchen can sound condescending or infantilizing.
Examples in context
- Maria ist ein böses Mädchen.Mary is a bad girl.This sentence is useful for showing how to identify someone as a böses Mädchen.Tatoeba #1692727 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1486072 by Spamster
- Sie ist ein böses Mädchen.She is a bad girl.
Example conversation
Felix is reading a storybook to Sarah.
- SarahIst das böse Mädchen in dem Buch traurig?Is the bad girl in the book sad?
- FelixNein, sie ist nur sehr frech.No, she is just very cheeky.
- SarahIch möchte kein böses Mädchen sein.I do not want to be a bad girl.
- FelixDu bist ein sehr braves Mädchen, Sarah.You are a very good girl, Sarah.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
