German · People & Family
"Miss" in German: Frau
Frau
Note: dated: Fräulein
Miss as a title in German is Frau for adult women. Say Frau Schneider, not Fräulein. Fräulein is outdated and can sound rude.
Hotel desk
Guten Tag, Frau Becker, Ihr Zimmer ist fertig.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce Frau
Say it
frow
/fʁaʊ/
frow. Like "frow" with a clear ow diphthong.
"Miss" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Frau | Ms. / Mrs. / Miss (modern) Default title for adult women. | Default title for adult women. |
| Frau + Nachname | Ms./Mrs. + surname Letters and introductions. | Letters and introductions. |
| Sehr geehrte Frau… | Dear Ms./Mrs.… Formal letters. | Formal letters. |
| Fräulein | Miss (dated) Avoid in modern speech. | Avoid in modern speech. |
How to use Frau in real life
- 1Hotel desk
Guten Tag, Frau Becker, Ihr Zimmer ist fertig.
Good day, Ms. Becker, your room is ready.
Title + surname.
- 2School office
Frau Lehmann unterrichtet heute Mathe.
Ms. Lehmann is teaching math today.
Teacher title.
- 3Formal email
Sehr geehrte Frau Hoffmann, vielen Dank.
Dear Ms. Hoffmann, thank you very much.
Letter opening.
Mistakes English speakers make with Frau
Incorrect: Fräulein Müller, bitte!
Correct: Frau Müller, bitte!
Fräulein is dated; the modern headword title is Frau.
Incorrect: Miss Schmidt kommt gleich.
Correct: Frau Schmidt kommt gleich.
Use Frau, not English Miss.
Good to know
German dropped Fräulein for everyday address decades ago. Adult women are Frau whether married or not. In shops you may hear only the surname after Frau; young staff still use it with older customers out of politeness.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Checking in a conference guest
ChatPal
Sind Sie Frau Keller aus Berlin?
Are you Ms. Keller from Berlin?
You
Ja, ich bin Frau Keller. Hier ist mein Ausweis.
Yes, I am Ms. Keller. Here's my ID.
ChatPal
Willkommen, Frau Keller. Ihr Badge liegt bereit.
Welcome, Ms. Keller. Your badge is ready.
You
Danke. Bitte rufen Sie mich einfach Frau Keller.
Thanks. Please just call me Ms. Keller.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Miss" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Miss" in German
How do you say Miss as a title?
Frau + surname.
Is Fräulein okay?
No — it is dated; use Frau.
Married or not?
Frau covers both; marital status is not marked.
Formal letter?
Sehr geehrte Frau…
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
