German diminutives: -chen and -lein (Häuschen, Löwchen, Fräulein)
German makes a noun smaller or more affectionate by adding -chen or -lein: das Haus becomes das Häuschen (the little house). A diminutive is always neuter, whatever the gender of the original noun. The vowel usually takes an umlaut if it can, and a final -e or -en is dropped before the ending. So der Löwe becomes das Löwchen, not Löwenchen.
Always neuter
The ending decides the gender, not the original word and not the person meant. Der Hund becomes das Hündchen, die Katze becomes das Kätzchen, der Baum becomes das Bäumchen. This is also why das Mädchen (the girl) is neuter: it was originally a diminutive of die Magd (maid).
der Hund → das Hündchenthe dog → the little dog
die Katze → das Kätzchenthe cat → the kitten
der Baum → das Bäumchenthe tree → the little tree
die Blume → das Blümchenthe flower → the little flower
The plural of a diminutive looks the same as the singular: ein Brötchen, zwei Brötchen; das Mädchen, die Mädchen. Only the article changes.
The umlaut
When the stressed vowel of the noun is a, o, u or au, it normally becomes ä, ö, ü or äu in the diminutive. This is the same vowel change that many nouns show in the plural.
| Noun | Diminutive | English |
|---|---|---|
| das Haus | das Häuschen | little house |
| das Brot | das Brötchen | bread roll |
| der Hund | das Hündchen | little dog |
| die Maus | das Mäuschen | little mouse |
| das Buch | das Büchlein | little book |
| die Tasse | das Tässchen | little cup |
There are exceptions. Frauchen (a dog's female owner, from Frau) and Tantchen (from Tante) have no umlaut, and names do not change their vowel: Hans becomes Hänschen in the old saying, but most modern first names simply add -chen or another ending without any change. If you are unsure, check a dictionary; the umlaut is the rule, but not a law.
Dropping -e and -en: Löwchen, not Löwenchen
Before -chen or -lein, a final unstressed -e disappears, and so does -en in many words. This is why der Löwe (lion) becomes das Löwchen and die Katze becomes das Kätzchen. Forms like Löwenchen or Katzechen do not exist.
der Löwe → das Löwchenthe lion → the little lion
die Tasche → das Täschchenthe bag → the little bag
die Kerze → das Kerzchenthe candle → the little candle
der Garten → das Gärtchenthe garden → the little garden
-chen or -lein?
Both endings mean the same, and some nouns can take either: das Hündchen or das Hündlein, das Tischchen or das Tischlein. In modern standard German, -chen is far more common. -lein sounds old-fashioned or poetic and is typical of fairy tales, songs and southern German.
There is one practical rule: nouns that end in -ch usually take -lein, or add -el- before -chen, because -chchen would be hard to pronounce. Das Buch becomes das Büchlein, der Bach becomes das Bächlein (the little stream).
Words that are diminutives only in form
Many everyday words end in -chen but are no longer felt as "small" versions of anything. They are simply normal nouns, and some have no base word in modern German at all. Learn these as ordinary vocabulary:
das Mädchen, die Mädchengirl
das Brötchen, die Brötchenbread roll
das Kaninchen, die Kaninchenrabbit
das Eichhörnchen, die Eichhörnchensquirrel
das Märchen, die Märchenfairy tale
das Würstchen, die Würstchensausage
das Plätzchen, die Plätzchenbiscuit (especially at Christmas); also a small place
das Hähnchen, die Hähnchenchicken (as food)
Fräulein
Fräulein is the diminutive of Frau and used to mean Miss for an unmarried woman. It is now considered old-fashioned and often patronising, and it is no longer used in official language. Address every adult woman as Frau with her surname.
Regional diminutives
In the south of the German-speaking area, people often use their own diminutive endings in everyday speech. In Swabia it is -le: das Häusle, and the famous noodles Spätzle, a name often explained as little sparrows. In Bavaria and Austria it is -erl or -l: das Busserl (a little kiss), das Sackerl (a bag). In Switzerland it is -li: das Hüsli (little house), das Müesli (literally a little mush, the origin of the breakfast cereal). These forms are not standard German, but you will see them on menus, in shops and in names.
Diminutives and pronouns
Because diminutives are neuter, the grammatically correct pronoun is es: Das Mädchen ist neu in der Klasse. Es kommt aus Wien. In everyday speech, many people switch to sie when the person is mentioned again, especially after a few sentences, and this is widely accepted. With animals and objects, es is normal: Das Kätzchen schläft. Es ist müde.
For the gender patterns of other noun endings, see der, die or das and the page on noun gender. The page on plural forms shows the same umlaut pattern in plurals, and the plural test lets you practise it.
Written by: Fatih Ün, German teacher · Last updated: