Grammar Modules
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What are Diminutives?
Diminutives in Dutch make something smaller or cuter. It is like saying ‘little’ or ‘cute’ in English. In Dutch, we can add different endings to words to create diminutives.
How to Form Diminutives
We can often add one of these endings: -je, -tje, -pje, or -etje.
- -je: Most common ending. Used for many words.
- -tje: Used for words that end in a vowel.
- -pje: Used for words that end in a consonant, usually softer sounds.
- -etje: Used for words that end with a hard ‘e’ sound.
Examples
| Base Word | Diminutive | English |
|---|---|---|
| boek | boekje | little book |
| tafel | tafeltje | little table |
| kaas | kaasje | little cheese |
| fles | flesje | little bottle |
| vriend | vriendje | little friend |
Notes
When you make a diminutive, the article (the word for ‘the’) also changes from de to het.
For example: de tafel (the table) becomes het tafeltje (the little table).
Practice using diminutives! They are fun and make your Dutch sound cute!