junge Dame
/ˈjʊŋə ˈdaːmə/word by word
The German phrase for "young lady" is junge Dame.
junge Dame is used to refer to an adolescent or young female. In certain contexts, addressing someone directly as junge Dame can sound slightly patronizing or old-fashioned, which is similar to how the phrase is used in English.
Meaning: an adolescent or young female (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of junge (young) and Dame (lady).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
junge Dame is a formal and polite way to refer to a young woman.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the phrase is junge Damen.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈjʊŋə ˈdaːmə/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Previously, the term Fräulein was used in German to address an unmarried young lady.
Did you know?
- In a game of chess, the piece known as the queen in English is called Dame in German.
- Using junge Dame as a direct address to a child by a parent often signals that the child is in trouble, mirroring the English 'Listen here, young lady'.
- The word Dame shares a common ancestor with the English 'dame', both tracing back to the Latin 'domina', meaning 'mistress' or 'lady'.
Examples in context
- Kennst du diese junge Dame?Do you know this young lady?This sentence is useful for asking if someone knows a specific junge Dame.Tatoeba #13603564 by Waldelfe, translation #7850437 by Hybrid
- Nicht so hastig, junge Dame!Not so fast, young lady!This sentence is useful for an exclamation directed at a junge Dame.Tatoeba #2768843 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1415016 by Spamster
- Eine junge Dame besuchte ihn.A young lady came to see him.This sentence is useful for describing an action involving a junge Dame.Tatoeba #5200221 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3809071 by Hybrid
- Guten Tag, junge Dame. Schönes Wetter heute, nicht wahr?Good day, young lady. Beautiful weather today, isn't it?
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas is introducing Julia to his grandmother.
- LukasOma, das ist eine sehr höfliche junge Dame.Grandma, this is a very polite young lady.
- JuliaHallo, es ist schön, dich kennenzulernen.Hello, it is nice to meet you.
- LukasJulia ist eine wirklich kluge junge Dame.Julia is a truly clever young lady.
- JuliaDanke für das nette Kompliment, Lukas.Thanks for the nice compliment, Lukas.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (Junge, Dame) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Dame, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
