mistress / lady
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lady / mistress
A woman who has power, ownership, or authority over something or someone, e.g. as the owner of an animal or as the lady of the house.
Die Herrin des Anwesens begrüßte ihre Gäste persönlich.
The lady of the estate personally greeted her guests.
to be in control
To have or regain control over a difficult, confusing, or chaotic situation.
Nach anfänglicher Panik wurde sie schnell wieder Herrin der Lage.
After her initial panic, she quickly got the situation back under control.
mistress
An outdated term for a man's lover, especially in an extramarital relationship.
Der König traf sich heimlich mit seiner Herrin im Jagdschloss.
The king secretly met with his mistress at the hunting lodge.
'Die Herrin' (mistress/lady) is the feminine form of 'der Herr' (master/gentleman). It describes a woman with authority or ownership, just as 'der Herr' describes a man.
Der Hund gehorcht nicht nur seinem Herrn, sondern auch seiner Herrin.
The dog obeys not only his master, but also his mistress.
To express what a woman is the 'Herrin' (mistress/lady) of, German often uses the genitive or the preposition 'von' (of/from). The combination 'die Herrin des Hauses' (the lady of the house) is especially common.
Sie ist die Herrin eines großen Landgutes.
She is the lady of a large estate.
The expression 'Herrin der Lage sein' (to be in control of the situation) is a fixed phrase. It means that a woman controls or manages a difficult situation.
Trotz des Chaos blieb die Managerin stets Herrin der Lage.
Despite the chaos, the manager always remained in control of the situation.
The meaning 'Geliebte' (lover/mistress) is outdated and sounds old-fashioned today. It is now used almost only in historical contexts such as books or films.
Im Roman traf der Adlige seine Herrin im Geheimen.
In the novel, the nobleman met his mistress in secret.
owner
Herrin and Besitzerin can both refer to a woman who owns an animal. Besitzerin neutrally describes the ownership relationship, while Herrin additionally emphasizes her authority or role as an important figure for the animal. Use Besitzerin for a neutral statement; Herrin can fit when the power or role relationship is emphasized.
Der Hund folgt seiner Herrin aufmerksam durch den Park.
The dog attentively follows his mistress through the park.
Die Besitzerin des Hundes holt ihn jeden Nachmittag aus dem Park ab.
The dog's owner picks him up from the park every afternoon.
