Frau
/fʁaʊ̯/
The German word for "Mrs." is Frau.
Frau is used as a formal title before a woman's surname. In a professional or formal setting, if a woman holds an academic title, you should include it in the address, such as Frau Dr. Müller.
Meaning: title before a woman's name (noun)
Which one should you use?
In English, speakers often distinguish between "Miss" and "Mrs." based on marital status, but in German, Frau is used for all adult women regardless of whether they are married or single.
How does it change in a sentence?
When Frau is used as a title before a surname, it does not take an adjective ending, even if an adjective follows it to describe the woman.
How do you pronounce it?
/fʁaʊ̯/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using Fräulein to mean "Miss". This is outdated and may be perceived as patronizing or offensive in modern German.
Did you know?
- The root of Frau comes from a Proto-Indo-European word meaning 'to go forward', which also gave us the Greek word for the 'prow' of a ship.
- While Frau is a common title, the lowercase frau was historically used by feminists as a linguistic way to refer to women collectively, similar to how 'man' is used in English.
Examples in context
- Ist das Frau Kent?Is that Mrs. Kent?This sentence is useful for identifying a person using Frau.Tatoeba #4639500 by Emtyra, translation #4638236 by Lazovic
- Verstehst du Frau Kunze?Do you understand Mrs. Kunze?This sentence shows how to ask about understanding someone using Frau.Tatoeba #6546668 by Espi, translation #403040 by Ramses
- Frau Smith trägt Schwarz.Mrs. Smith is in black.This sentence demonstrates how to describe what Frau is wearing.Tatoeba #778518 by Espi, translation #51509 by Dejo
- Herr Müller, das ist Frau Schmidt.Mr. Müller, this is Mrs. Schmidt.
- Hallo Frau Müller, wie geht es Ihnen?Hello Mrs. Müller, how are you?
- Guten Tag, Frau Dr. Müller.Good day, Dr. Müller.
- 127 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas are talking about their new neighbor in the hallway.
- JuliaKennst du Frau Weber?Do you know Mrs. Weber?
- LukasNein, ich kenne Frau Weber nicht.No, I don't know Mrs. Weber.
- JuliaSie ist eine sehr nette Frau.She is a very nice woman.
- LukasDann sollte ich sie mal besuchen.Then I should visit her sometime.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Frau, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Frau, frau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
