Mädchen

Etymology
From, , from or calqued from , , both from. Equivalent to.

Noun

 * 1) girl
 * 2) maiden

Usage notes

 * Since Mädchen is a grammatically neuter noun, all preceding articles, determiners, and adjectives take neuter forms:  ein klein es Mädchen (“a little girl”). This rule is followed throughout all registers of German.
 * There is more variation concerning pronouns referring back to Mädchen. These are usually neuter within the same sentence: Das Mädchen, das eben hier war, hat seine Tasche vergessen. – “The girl who was just here, forgot her purse.” (But feminine would be acceptable in colloquial usage.) It is quite common, however, to use feminine pronouns in following sentences: Siehst du das Mädchen, das da steht? Kennst du die ? – “Do you see the girl who [neuter] is standing there? Do you know her [feminine]?” (But neuter  would be acceptable in literary usage.)
 * Mädchen is typically used to refer to young women up to the age of 30. Past this age it is uncommon (unlike 🇨🇬) – the related term is more widely used colloquially for adult women.