meiden

Meiden is a Dutch word meaning girls, and it serves as the plural form of meid, which can mean a girl or a maid. The term is common in informal speech and everyday writing, especially when addressing or referring to a group of young women.

In standard Dutch, the more formal plural for meisje (girl) is meisjes. Meiden is often used for groups of girls or young female workers in casual contexts, and it can carry connotations of youth, camaraderie, or in-group identification. Historically, meid also referred to a domestic servant, so in some older texts or historical contexts meiden can imply maids.

Usage and nuance differ by register. Meiden tends to appear in colloquial speech, youth culture, and media aimed at a younger audience, while meisjes remains the neutral term for girls across many contexts. The choice between meiden and meisjes can reflect tone, formality, and the speaker’s relationship to the audience.

Etymologically, meiden derives from the Dutch noun meid, with the plural formed by the standard Dutch plural suffix -en. The word has cognates in other Germanic languages, reflecting the shared concept of a young female person or servant in historical usage.

See also blijft in dictionaries under meid, meisjes, and related terms for more formal or historical usage.