Frau

Frau is a German noun meaning "woman" and, when used as a title, "Mrs." or "Ms." It is always capitalized. In ordinary speech and writing, "Frau" refers to an adult female and is commonly used as a respectful form of address before a surname or full name, for example "Frau Schmidt" or "Frau Angela Merkel."

Etymology: The word derives from Old High German frou, froua, related to Dutch vrouw and Swedish fru; related to the English historical "frow" meaning lady. The sense "married woman" developed historically, later generalized to all adult women.

Grammatical notes: The definite article in singular is "die" as in "die Frau"; plural "die Frauen". The indefinite article is "eine Frau". When used as a title before a surname, it is not declined (Frau Schmidt). It can also appear with academic titles, e.g., "Frau Doktor Schmidt" or "Frau Professor Schmidt."

Fräulein: Historically used for an unmarried woman; modern etiquette discourages it in many contexts; some older forms and personal names still preserve "Fräulein" in fixed phrases or in the names of establishments.

In modern usage, "Frau" appears in many compound nouns and in forms of address; it plays a central role in gendered language and is a standard term in business, media, and public life.