stepmother
die Stiefmutter, die Stiefmütter
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stepmother
The woman who is married to one's father but is not one's biological mother.
Nach der Scheidung seiner Eltern wuchs er bei seinem Vater und seiner Stiefmutter auf.
After his parents' divorce, he grew up with his father and his stepmother.
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Stiefmütter |
| genitive | der Stiefmutter |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Stiefmutter | die Stiefmütter |
| accusative | die Stiefmutter | die Stiefmütter |
| dative | der Stiefmutter | den Stiefmüttern |
| genitive | der Stiefmutter | der Stiefmütter |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
The prefix 'Stief-' (step-) refers to a family relationship that arises through the marriage of a parent, not through birth. This pattern is used for a whole range of relatives, e.g. 'Stiefvater' (stepfather), 'Stiefbruder' (stepbrother), or 'Stiefkind' (stepchild).
Seit der neuen Heirat ihres Vaters hat sie auch eine Stiefmutter.
Since her father's remarriage, she also has a stepmother.
In many classic fairy tales, the stepmother is portrayed as an evil figure. In everyday life today, however, the word is a neutral term that simply describes the family structure.
Entgegen dem Klischee aus den Märchen ist ihre Stiefmutter ihre beste Freundin geworden.
Contrary to the fairy-tale cliché, her stepmother has become her best friend.
The word is almost always used with a possessive pronoun (meine, deine, seine Stiefmutter: my, your, his stepmother) to make the relationship clear. It is often used in sentences that describe the personal relationship.
Er versteht sich gut mit seiner Stiefmutter.
He gets along well with his stepmother.
Sie ist bei ihrem Vater und ihrer Stiefmutter groß geworden.
She grew up with her father and her stepmother.
