Diminutive -jie
hand → handjie · kat → katjie · hoed → hoedjie · bed → bedjie · sounds like -kie
How It Works
Choosing -jie
Use -jie after a final d or t, including nd, nt, rd and rt:
- hand → handjie, hond → hondjie, kind → kindjie
- kat → katjie, pot → potjie, plant → plantjie
- hoed → hoedjie, bed → bedjie, woord → woordjie
No doubling
Unlike -ie, -jie starts with a consonant, so nothing doubles: katjie, not kattjie. A long double vowel stays double, because the syllable is still closed: boot → bootjie, brood → broodjie.
Pronunciation
The written dj or tj is pronounced much like k, and the vowel before it often picks up a light ee glide: katjie sounds close to kai-kee, and handjie close to hain-kee.
Words with their own meaning
Some -jie words are everyday nouns in their own right: kaartjie (ticket, from kaart), broodjie (bread roll) and potjie (a three-legged cooking pot). See What Diminutives Really Do.
Plural and other endings
Add -s for the plural: katjies, handjies. See Plural of Diminutives. After a vowel, or after l, n or r that follow a long vowel, the ending is -tjie instead.
Examples (6)
- Gee my jou handjie.
Give me your little hand.
Word by Word: Give me your little-hand.
- Die katjie slaap op die bed.
The kitten is sleeping on the bed.
Word by Word: The little-cat sleeps on the bed.
- Sy dra 'n rooi hoedjie.
She is wearing a little red hat.
Word by Word: She wears a red little-hat.
- Die baba slaap in sy bedjie.
The baby is sleeping in his little bed.
Word by Word: The baby sleeps in his little-bed.
- Het jy al jou kaartjie gekoop?
Have you already bought your ticket?
Word by Word: Have you already your ticket bought?
Kaartjie comes from kaart (card) and is the normal word for a ticket.
- Ek eet 'n broodjie vir middagete.
I am eating a bread roll for lunch.
Word by Word: I eat a little-bread for lunch.
Common Mistakes
Using -ie after t.
Die katie slaap.Die katjie slaap.After t the ending is -jie: katjie.
Doubling the t before -jie.
Die kattjie slaap.Die katjie slaap.-jie begins with a consonant, so the t does not double.
Using -tjie after d.
Gee my jou handtjie.Gee my jou handjie.After d, add only -jie: handjie.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The diminutive -jie is used after d and t, as an alternative to -ie.
Related Patterns
- Diminutive -tjie
Nouns ending in a vowel, or l, n or r after a long vowel, take -tjie.
Level 2 - Diminutive -etjie
Short-vowel nouns ending in l, m, n, r or ng take -etjie.
Level 3 - Plural of Diminutives
Diminutives in -jie form the plural with -s.
Level 2 - What Diminutives Really Do
Words like kaartjie and broodjie have their own everyday meanings.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice Diminutive -jie in Bubblegum
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