Märchen
German, noun/ˈmɛːɐ̯çn̩/
Märchen is a German neuter noun meaning “fairy tale (folk tale)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The German Wiktionary defines it as “auf mündlicher Überlieferung beruhende, kurze Erzählung, oft mit fantastischen und wunderbaren Begebenheiten”.
What does Märchen mean in English?
noun
- 1
neuterfairy tale (folk tale)
- 2
informalneuterfairy tale (unbelievable story)
Source: English Wiktionary, German section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How German dictionaries define it
noun: 1. auf mündlicher Überlieferung beruhende, kurze Erzählung, oft mit fantastischen und wunderbaren Begebenheiten 2. unwahre, erfundene Geschichte
The definition in the German Wiktionary, in German.
Source: German Wiktionary, dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
Forms of Märchen
- Märchens genitive
- Mährchen alternative
Source: English Wiktionary and German Wiktionary (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026).
How do you pronounce Märchen?
- /ˈmɛːɐ̯çn̩/
- /ˈmeːɐ̯çn̩/
- [ˈmɛːɐ̯çən]
Sources: English Wiktionary, German Wiktionary (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026); recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
English words that translate to Märchen
Source: the translation tables of the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026.
How common is Märchen in German?
Märchen appears 17 times per million words in written German.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).