Mädchen

German

From Middle High German magedichīn, meidichīn, from Old High German *magadihhīn or calqued from Middle Low German mēgedeken, megedekīn, both from Proto-West Germanic *magaþukīn. Equivalent to Magd +‎ -chen.

IPA^(key): /ˈmɛːtçən/ (Germany, prescriptive; used naturally in western Germany)
IPA^(key): /ˈmeːtçən/ (Germany, overall more common; particularly northern and eastern regions)
- Audio: (file) (Germany)
- Audio: (file) (Germany (Berlin))
- Rhymes: -ɛːtçən
IPA^(key): /ˈmeːtçɛn/ (Austria, Southern Germany)
IPA^(key): /ˈmɛːtçɛn/ (Switzerland)

Mädchen n (strong, genitive Mädchens, plural Mädchen or (nonstandard, uncommon) Mädchens)

Since Mädchen is a grammatically neuter noun, all preceding articles, determiners, and adjectives take neuter forms: ein kleines Mädchen (“a little girl”). This rule is followed throughout all registers of German.
There is more variation concerning pronouns referring back to Mädchen. These are usually neuter within the same sentence: Das Mädchen, das eben hier war, hat seine Tasche vergessen. – “The girl who was just here, forgot her purse.” (But feminine ihre would be acceptable in colloquial usage.) It is quite common, however, to use feminine pronouns in following sentences: Siehst du das Mädchen, das da steht? Kennst du die? – “Do you see the girl who [neuter] is standing there? Do you know her [feminine]?” (But neuter es would be acceptable in literary usage.)
Mädchen is typically used to refer to young women up to the age of 30. Past this age it is uncommon (unlike English girl) – the related term Mädel is more widely used colloquially for adult women.
The plural Mädchens is archaic. Compare colloquial Jungs.

Declension of Mädchen [neuter, strong]

¹Nonstandard, uncommon.