NounA1

die Frau

woman · wife · Mrs./Ms.

Die Frau means 'woman' or 'wife'. It is also used as a polite title for adult women, like 'Mrs.' or 'Ms.', and is the standard way to address a woman formally.

What Frau means

woman — referring to an adult female person
wife — referring to a married woman in relation to her spouse
Mrs./Ms. — used as a title before a surname or name, e.g., Frau Müller

Heard in real German videos

Lines where Frau was actually spoken, from German videos watched with DeutschChat.

Frau Mümmel ist die Schwimmlehrerin.Mrs. Rabbit is the swimming teacher.
Hallo, wo brennt es denn, Frau Mümmel?Hello, what's the matter, Mrs. Mümmel?

Example sentences

Die Frau liest ein Buch.The woman is reading a book.
Meine Frau ist Ärztin.My wife is a doctor.
Guten Morgen, Frau Schmidt!Good morning, Mrs. Schmidt!

Grammar

Gender	feminine
Plural	Frauen
Genitive	der Frau
Declension	Regular feminine: die Frau, der Frau, der Frau, die Frau; plural: die Frauen, der Frauen, den Frauen, die Frauen

When addressing a woman directly, use 'Frau' + last name (e.g., 'Frau Schmidt'). Do not use 'Frau' + first name; use either the formal form with surname or the informal first name alone.

Common phrases

Frau des Hauseslady of the house
junge Frauyoung woman
Frau Doktora title for a female doctor (used with or without surname)

The mistake English speakers make

English speakers often use 'Frau' as a direct equivalent of 'woman' in all contexts, but in German, when addressing someone directly, you must use 'Frau' + last name, not just 'Frau'.

Don’t confuse it with

das Weib — Weib is an outdated or derogatory term for woman, while Frau is neutral and polite.
das Fräulein — Fräulein is an outdated term for an unmarried woman, now rarely used; Frau is used for all adult women.

Questions learners ask

How do I address a woman in German?

Use 'Frau' followed by her last name, e.g., 'Frau Müller'. This is the standard polite form.