das Märchen
Translation
fairy tale, tale, myth, fib
Examples
Kinder lieben Märchen.
Children love fairy tales.
Das ist doch nur ein Märchen.
That's just a fairy tale.
Grammar Patterns
to tell ((sb.)) a fairy tale Die Großmutter erzählt den Kindern ein Märchen.
Similar Words
Synonyms: Sage (saga), Legende (legend), Fabel (fable)
Etymology
From Middle High German 'mære' (news, story) plus the diminutive suffix '-chen', meaning 'little story'.
Memory Tips
Think of the famous Grimm's Fairy Tales, which are called 'Grimms Märchen' in German.