In German, der Mann and die Frau are the standard, everyday words for “man” and “woman,” while der Herr and die Dame are formal, polite terms roughly equivalent to “gentleman” and “lady.” The plural forms die Damen and die Herren have historically been used for formal address, announcements, and signs. 

banner6 PLACEHOLDER

Wenn Sie unsicher sind, meine Damen und Herren, dann rufen Sie bitte lieber die Polizei.

If you are unsure, ladies and gentlemen, then it's better to please call the police.

Caption 31, Großstadtrevier: Von Monstern und Mördern

 Play Caption

All four of these nouns can be used in compound nouns, such as der Frauenfußball ("women's football"). Compound nouns related to human rights, healthcare, sports leagues, and demographics tend to include Frauen and Männer, whereas those with Damen and Herren would more likely relate to retail categories, sports gear, and public facilities.

Das ist eine Jacke, besser gesagt, ein Damenjackett.

This is a jacket, or better said, a ladies' jacket.

Caption 19, Eva zeigt uns: Kleidungsstücke

 Play Caption

Anfang des zwanzigsten Jahrhunderts waren Frauenrechte noch stark eingeschränkt.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, women's rights were still severely restricted.

Captions 5-6, Gleichberechtigung: Internationaler Frauentag am 8. März

 Play Caption

When it comes to addressing a group of people, there are quite a few standard gender-inclusive phrases that allow you to avoid using Meine Damen und Herren or gendered noun endings.

Hallo, liebe Leute!

Hello, dear people! 

Caption 1, Weihnachten in Deutschland: Schneeflöckchen, Weißröckchen

 Play Caption

Hallo zusammen. Heute sind wir bei der Firma Ekomo in Bruchsal. 

Hello, everyone. Today we are at the company Ekomo in Bruchsal. 

Caption 1, Neko-Induktionsheizung: Interview mit Mirja Löhr

 Play Caption

Liebe Gäste, und jetzt ein kleines Konzert von unseren guten Freunden:

Dear guests, and now a little concert from our good friends:

Captions 21-22, Nicos Weg: Theater und Konzerte

 Play Caption

Beispiele dafür sind: „Studierende“, „Lehrende“ oder „Mitarbeitende“.

Examples of this are: "students," "teachers," or "employees."

Captions 32-33, LGBTQ Gendern

 Play Caption

In formal letters or emails, Sehr geehrtes Team is widely accepted for addressing a group, or Guten Tag [full name] for an individual.

Further Learning

You can learn more about this topic, including how the German language deals with pronouns, in this video on Yabla German. 

Festival season is upon us, and in Germany there are many music festivals happening both in the big cities and more remote locations. In addition, many musical artists are on tour, filling stadiums and smaller venues alike.

banner PLACEHOLDER

Due to the international nature of the topic, a lot of the vocabulary in this lesson is adopted from or similar to English, but not all! And even when a word derived from English is used, you still need to know the appropriate gender in German. 

Mit seiner Konzertagentur erhielt er den LEA in gleich drei Kategorien: für die beste Stadion-Tour des Jahres, das beste Festival und die beste Show.

With his concert agency he received the LEA in as many as three categories: for the best stadium tour of the year, the best festival, and the best show.

Captions 54-55, Live-Entertainment-Award: Glamouröse Preisverleihung

 Play Caption

Das Konzert war großartig, denn die Band war fantastisch.

The concert was great because the band was fantastic.

Caption 14, Deutsch mit Eylin: Konjunktionen

 Play Caption

Der letzte Auftritt der Band war im Februar auf einer Hochzeit.

The band's last gig was at a wedding in February.

Caption 11, Coronavirus: Drei Musiker geben Ballonkonzert über Cloppenburg

 Play Caption

Vor kurzem hatten wir ein kurzes, aber knackiges Revival, haben gespielt bei einem Open Air.

Recently, we had a short but sweet revival, played at an open air festival.

Caption 21, Deutsche Bands: Cabanossi

 Play Caption

The more formal word for "the ticket" is die Eintrittskarte, but it's very normal to use the English word, which is neuter: das Ticket. 

Ich denke, die Tickets sind ausverkauft.

I think the tickets are sold out.

Caption 9, Nicos Weg: Theater und Konzerte

 Play Caption

Festivals generally have a number of stages, each with their own lineup.

Bist du lieber auf der Bühne oder vor der Kamera?

Do you prefer to be on stage or in front of the camera?

Caption 86, 1Live: Nina Chuba im 1LIVE Fragenhagel

 Play Caption

Ja, wir haben in diesem Sommer ein erstklassiges Programm in der Musik-Arena .

Yes, this summer we have a first-class lineup in the music arena.

Caption 7, Das Tollwood-Festival: BAP und Clueso in der Musik-Arena

 Play Caption

Certain festivals may involve camping, and in Germany this can mean dealing with rain and mud. But not always, of course!

Was auf diesem Campingplatz wohl schon für Freundschaften entstanden sind?

What kinds of friendships might have started at this campground?

Caption 40, Golden Oldies in Wettenberg Musik, Motoren Modetrends

 Play Caption

Peppa springt auch gerne durch den Matsch.

Peppa also likes to jump through the mud.

Caption 54, Peppa Wutz: Einkaufen und mehr

 Play Caption

Further Learning
Have a look at our "Musicians" category on Yabla German, or check out the websites of music festivals in Germany.