A diminutive is the "small" form of a noun, and you usually make it by adding _-je_: _huis_ becomes _huisje_. Depending on the last sound of the word, the ending can also be _-tje_, _-pje_, _-etje_ or _-kje_. In the singular, every diminutive is a _het_ word, and the plural ends in _-s_. You will hear them all day, from _een kopje koffie_ to _een broodje kaas_.
The pattern
Add _-je_ to most nouns, unless the last sound asks for _-tje_, _-pje_, _-etje_ or _-kje_. In the singular, the result always takes _het_.
- _-je_ after most consonants, such as k, s or t: _boek_, _boekje_; _huis_, _huisje_; _kat_, _katje_.
- _-tje_ after a vowel. A single final a, o or u is written double: _oma_, _omaatje_; _auto_, _autootje_; _paraplu_, _parapluutje_. A final i usually becomes _ie_ (_taxi_, _taxietje_). A final y after a consonant gets an apostrophe (_baby_, _baby'tje_), while after a vowel it simply takes _-tje_ (_spray_, _spraytje_). Two vowels stay as they are (_thee_, _theetje_).
- _-tje_ after l, n, r or w when the vowel before is long, a diphthong (two vowels in one sound, like _ui_ or _ou_), or in an unstressed syllable (one said without extra force, like the _-el_ in _tafel_): _stoeltje_, _deurtje_, _vrouwtje_, _tafeltje_.
- _-pje_ after m in the same situations: _boompje_, _bezempje_.
- _-etje_ after a short stressed vowel plus l, m, n, ng or r. Double the l, m, n or r, but leave ng as it is: _balletje_, _kammetje_, _mannetje_, _ringetje_.
- _-kje_ after unstressed _-ing_ when the syllable just before it is stressed: _koninkje_, _kettinkje_. Otherwise _-ing_ usually takes _-etje_: _wandeling_, _wandelingetje_.
- The plural adds _-s_ and, like every plural, takes _de_: _de stoeltjes_, _de balletjes_.
Examples
| Ik neem een kopje thee. | I'll have a cup of tea. |
|---|---|
| Sanne woont in een klein huisje in Utrecht. | Sanne lives in a small house in Utrecht. |
| Daan zet zijn tas op het stoeltje bij de deur. | Daan puts his bag on the little chair by the door. |
| Mijn oma heeft een rood autootje. | My grandma has a little red car. |
| In onze tuin staat een boompje. | There is a little tree in our garden. |
| Ahmed heeft een biertje besteld. | Ahmed ordered a beer. |
| De kinderen spelen met een balletje. | The children are playing with a little ball. |
| Priya draagt een zilveren ringetje. | Priya wears a little silver ring. |
| Mei heeft een kettinkje gekregen voor haar verjaardag. | Mei got a little necklace for her birthday. |
| Joris koopt twee broodjes kaas. | Joris buys two cheese rolls. |
Why it works this way
The ending follows your mouth. Say _boomtje_ quickly: your lips are already closed for the m, so a p slips in on its own, and Dutch simply writes what you hear: _boompje_. In _koning_ the back of your tongue is already in place for a k sound, so _koningtje_ turns into _koninkje_.
A short stressed vowel before l, m, n, ng or r gets the fuller ending _-etje_, and a doubled l, m, n or r keeps that vowel short, just as in the plural _ballen_ (see [doubling consonants](#/lesson/double-consonants)). Compare:
- _man_, _mannetje_ and _maan_, _maantje_ (short or long vowel)
- _kam_, _kammetje_ and _boom_, _boompje_ (short or long vowel)
- _bal_, _balletje_ and _tafel_, _tafeltje_ (stressed or unstressed, see [word stress](#/lesson/word-stress))
- _ring_, _ringetje_ and _koning_, _koninkje_ (stressed or unstressed)
Remember: with l, m, n, ng or r at the end, a short stressed vowel gets the long ending. _Bal_ gets _-etje_, while _stoel_ and _tafel_ only get _-tje_.
As for _het_: the diminutive ending decides the article, not the original noun, so _de man_ becomes _het mannetje_. If you speak German, this works just like -chen.
A few common words go their own way. Some short words lengthen the vowel: _glas_, _glaasje_; _schip_, _scheepje_. _Jongen_ becomes _jongetje_. After lm and rm you also get _-pje_: _filmpje_, _armpje_. And some words ending in another consonant take _-etje_: _vlag_, _vlaggetje_; _brug_, _bruggetje_. What all these small forms actually mean is the topic of [the next lesson](#/lesson/diminutive-meaning).
Watch out
- Not: _de stoeltje_ Say: _het stoeltje_ (every singular diminutive takes _het_, even if the noun takes _de_)
- Not: _een kleine huisje_ Say: _een klein huisje_ (a _het_ word after _een_ gets no _-e_ on the adjective)
- Not: _het autotje_ Say: _het autootje_ (the final o of _auto_ is doubled before _-tje_)
- Not: _het boomtje_ Say: _het boompje_ (after a long vowel plus m, the ending is _-pje_)
- Not: _het baltje_ Say: _het balletje_ (short stressed vowel plus l: double it and add _-etje_)
Quick check
- Write the diminutive with its article: _de boom_
- Choose the right word: _Emma tekent een (stertje / sterretje) op de kaart._
- Fix the sentence, keeping _tafeltje_: _Ik heb mijn telefoon op de tafeltje gelegd._
- Fill in the plural diminutive of _auto_: _Bas speelt met drie ... op de vloer._
Answers
- _het boompje_ (long vowel plus m gives _-pje_, and a singular diminutive always takes _het_)
- _sterretje_ (short stressed vowel plus r: double the r and add _-etje_)
- _Ik heb mijn telefoon op het tafeltje gelegd._ (a singular diminutive is a _het_ word)
- _autootjes_ (double the final o, add _-tje_, then _-s_ for the plural)
Use it today
Find five things around you with a diminutive name, such as _een kopje_, _een lepeltje_ or _een tasje_, and say each one aloud with _het_. Then order _een broodje_ or _een kopje koffie_ today and listen for every _-je_ around you.