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. 

This Wednesday, March 8th, is International Women's Day. In the federal states of Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Internationaler Frauentag has been an official holiday since 2019, meaning that offices, stores, and schools are all closed. However, the holiday has existed since the early 20th century as part of the women's rights movement.

The word for gender in German is das Geschlecht, so "gender equality" in German is die Gleichstellung der Geschlechter (note the genitive construction!). 

Ein Zeichen dafür, dass Frauen in Deutschland

A sign that women in Germany,

trotz der rechtlichen Gleichstellung

despite legal equality,

noch immer in bestimmten Aspekten des Lebens benachteiligt werden.

are still disadvantaged in certain aspects of life.

Captions 26-28, Gleichberechtigung - Internationaler Frauentag am 8. März

 Play Caption

What does gender equality look like? Getting the right to vote, which women have had in Germany since 1919, was certainly a watershed moment.

Was regelt das Wahlrecht in Deutschland?

What does the right to vote control in Germany?

Caption 29, Bundesrepublik Deutschland - Einbürgerungstest

 Play Caption

However, today's work is focused on women around the world being free from violence, oppression, and discrimination. In Germany, there are also questions of political representation and equal pay. 

Wir wollen eine Gleichberechtigung, keine Diskriminierung.

We want equality, not discrimination.

Caption 39, Integration von Nationalitäten - Hessen miteinander

 Play Caption

Here, there's still room for improvement in German politics and offices. However, there are some structures that support women in their work and family life. The noun die Elternzeit is used to describe time taken off by any parent of a new baby.

Da kannst du nur hoffen, dass dein Mann Elternzeit nimmt.

Then you can only hope that your husband takes parental leave.

Caption 48, Großstadtrevier - Nicht mit mir

 Play Caption

Of course, some older traditions still carry forward a slightly misogynistic viewpoint, as beautiful as the costumes may be:

Sind die Bollen rot, bedeutet das, dass die Frau unverheiratet ist.

If the balls are red, it means that the woman is unmarried.

Schwarze Kugeln sind das Zeichen für eine verheiratete Frau.

Black balls are the symbol for a married woman.

Captions 7-8, Cettina erklärt - Sitten und Bräuche

 Play Caption

Further Learning
Be sure to watch Cettina's video about Internationaler Frauentag on Yabla German!