LangritWhat are diminutives?
Diminutives make things smaller or express affection. Dutch uses them very often, much more than English! The most common suffix is -je.
All diminutives are het-words: het hondje, het huisje, het meisje.
The five diminutive endings
The ending depends on the last sound of the base word:
1. -je: after most consonants
| Base | Diminutive | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| huis | huisje | little house |
| boek | boekje | little book |
| hond | hondje | little dog |
2. -tje: after vowels and diphthongs, and after l, n, r, w following a long vowel or diphthong
| Base | Diminutive | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| auto | autootje | little car |
| stoel | stoeltje | little chair |
| vrouw | vrouwtje | little woman |
| ei | eitje | little egg |
3. -pje: after -m
| Base | Diminutive | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| boom | boompje | little tree |
| bloem | bloempje | little flower |
4. -kje: after unstressed -ing (the g drops)
| Base | Diminutive | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| haring | harinkje | little herring |
| koning | koninkje | little king |
5. -etje: after a short stressed vowel + l, m, n, r or ng
| Base | Diminutive | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bal | balletje | little ball |
| ring | ringetje | little ring |
Common everyday diminutives
Dutch people use diminutives constantly in daily life:
| Diminutive | Base | When you hear it |
|---|---|---|
| kopje (koffie) | kop | a cup of coffee |
| broodje | brood | a bread roll / sandwich |
| biertje | bier | a (small) beer |
| hapje | hap | a snack / a bite |
| momentje | moment | a little moment |
| beetje | beet | a little bit |
| meisje | meid | girl |
| hondje | hond | little dog / doggy |
| dagje | dag | a (nice) day out |
Example sentences
- Wil je een kopje koffie? — Would you like a cup of coffee?
- Ik eet een broodje kaas. — I eat a cheese sandwich.
- Een momentje, alstublieft. — One moment, please.
- Het is een beetje koud. — It is a little bit cold.
- Wat een leuk huisje! — What a nice little house!
- Zullen we een biertje drinken? — Shall we have a beer?