mein schönes Mädchen
The English phrase "my beautiful girl" is translated into German as mein schönes Mädchen.
This is an affectionate term used to describe a young girl or a daughter who is pretty.
Which one should you use?
You may also see Mein wunderschönes Mädchen used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes depending on its role in a sentence. Use meines schönen Mädchens in the genitive case to indicate possession or belonging. Use meinem schönen Mädchen in the dative case, which occurs after certain verbs or prepositions.
Did you know?
- The word Mädchen is actually a neuter noun, meaning it uses the grammatical gender 'it' instead of 'she'.
- The word Mädchen shares an unexpected linguistic ancestor with the English word 'maid'.
- While schön means 'beautiful', Germans often use the word süß, meaning 'sweet', as the primary affectionate descriptor for young girls.
Examples in context
- Mein schönes Mädchen spielt im Garten.My beautiful girl is playing in the garden.
Example conversation
Julian is talking to his young daughter, Sarah.
- JulianGuten Morgen, mein schönes Mädchen!Good morning, my beautiful girl!
- SarahGuten Morgen, Papa!Good morning, Daddy!
- JulianHast du gut geschlafen?Did you sleep well?
- SarahJa, ich habe sehr gut geschlafen.Yes, I slept very well.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Mädchen, mein, CC BY-SA 4.0.
