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Fun fact: “Das Mädchen” (“little girl”, neuter) is diminutive form for “Die Mad” (“girl”, female).

All diminutives in German are neuter, for whatever reason. You could do the same for “Der Knabe” (“boy”) → “Das Knäbchen” (“little boy”).

Curiously, saying “Die Mad” would be as uncommon – at least nowadays – as saying “Das Knäbchen”.

2 comments

> All diminutives in German are neuter, for whatever reason

It’s just one instance of the more general principle that the gender of nouns with a common suffix are based on the suffix. E.g. all nouns ending in -keit or -ung are feminine regardless of whether they have any connection to the biological female sex.

> Curiously, saying “Die Mad” would be as uncommon – at least nowadays – as saying “Das Knäbchen”.

I liked that The Handmaids Tale in German is der Report der Magd.