Grammar Modules
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What are Verkleinwoorden?
Verkleinwoorden are small forms of nouns in Dutch. They are used to show that something is small or to make a word sound cute. In English, you might say ‘kitty’ instead of ‘cat’. In Dutch, we often add a suffix to the word to make it smaller.
How to form Verkleinwoorden
To create a verkleinwoord, you usually add one of the following suffixes to the noun:
- -je (e.g., boom – boompje [tree – little tree])
- -tje (e.g., boek – boekje [book – little book])
- -pje (e.g., huis – huisje [house – little house])
Note: Some words have irregular forms, and the suffix may change based on the rules of Dutch grammar.
Examples
| Dutch Noun | Verkleinwoord | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| bal | balletje | ball – little ball |
| kat | katje | cat – kitty |
| stoel | stoeltje | chair – little chair |
When to use Verkleinwoorden?
You use verkleinwoorden when you want to express affection or describe something that is small. For example, you might say ‘dat is een schattig hondje’ (that is a cute little dog).