-chen and -lein make the noun small: the diminutive
die Ente - das Entchen / das Entlein
The diminutive form of nouns makes the noun "small".
How do I form the diminutive?
You can form a diminutive form (= a form that makes the noun smaller) from any German noun.
To do this, you add the syllable -chen or -lein to the noun.
Examples:
der Tisch- das Tischchen - das Tischlein
das Pferd - das Pferdchen - das Pferdlein
die Tür - das Türchen - das Türlein
When do I need an umlaut?
If the stem vowel of the noun is a, o, or u it becomes an umlaut:
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a → ä
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o → ö
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u → ü
Example:
der Platz - das Plätzchen - das Plätzlein
das Tor - das Törchen - das Törlein
der Bruder – das Brüderchen – das Brüderlein
der Schuh - das Schühchen
If the stem vowel of the noun is -au- it becomes -äu-:
Das Haus – das Häuschen – das Häuslein
If the stem vowel of the noun is e, i, ä, ö, und ü it stays the same.
When is the vowel at the end of the noun omitted?
The vowel at the end of the noun is omitted if it's unstressed:
Example:
der Hase – das Häschen – das Häslein
die Dose – das Döschen, das Döslein
When can I not form a diminutive?
You can't add a -chen oder -lein to a noun that already has one:
Example:
Das Mädchen
Das Eichhörnchen
What happens to words ending in -ch or -che?
For these words we use -lein, so that it's easier to pronounce them.
Example:
der Bach – das Bächlein
das Buch – das Büchlein
die Kirche - das Kirchlein
das Dach – das Dächlein
Are there any other forms than -chen or -lein?
In some regions and dialects you can use instead:
-le (Schwäbisch)
Beispiel:
der Tisch – das Tischle
das Haus – das Häusle
das Mädchen – das Mädle
-erl (Bayern, Österreich)
der Sack – das Sackerl
das Päckchen - das Packerl
die Lampe - das Lamperl
Article of the diminutive
The diminutiv if a noun is always neutral.
Therefore the article is always 'das'.
It doesn't matter which gender the noun has in its' original form.
der Hund → das Hündchen, das Hündlein
die Wurst → das Würstchen, das Würstlein
das Brot → das Brötchen, das Brötlein
Tipp:
If a noun ends in -chen or -lein, it's always neutral.
The article is: das
When do I use the diminutive?
We use the diminutive form to show that something is small - that's clear.
"Das Büchlein" has a smaller format than most books.
It is also used when dealing with young people or animals .
"Drei Vögelchen sitzen im Nest"
But we often want to emphasize that something is particularly cute or sweet :
"Oh - das ist ein süßes Häuschen!"
Things that are for children are often called like this:
"ch habe für meine Tochter ein Kleidchen gekauft."
We also use the diminutive for pet names , i.e. to address someone affectionately:
Mein Schatz- mein Schätzchen
Marie - Mariechen
But you can also use this form negatively or ironically.
"Mein Freundchen, komm bitte her!!!" - doesn't sound friendly to the children at all.
Greetings can also sound more informal and nicer with it:
Hellöchen - Tschüsschen, Tagchen
Is there also a "magnification form" in German?
No, there is no form in German that makes nouns bigger.
Instead we use adjectives like: (sehr) groß, riesig, massiv, enorm, …
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Summary:
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The diminutive is formed by adding -chen and -lein.
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In some dialects the final syllables – le or -erl are used
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An unstressed vowel at the end of the noun is dropped.
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the stem vowel becomes the corresponding umlaut.
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Usage: especially for small things, young people/animals, to trivialize something, as a term of endearment (= affectionate), as an understatement, as an evaluation.
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You might also like:
Noun: der, die das - the grammatical gender
Adjectives and their endings - declension
Adjectives: comparison - schön, schöner, am schönsten (nice, nicer, the nicest)
Adjectives - comparison with 'wie' or 'als'
Prepositions: the alternating prepositions
Practice your pronunciation: tongue twisters