Plural of Diminutives
To make a diminutive plural, just add -s: katjie → katjies, huisie → huisies, stoeltjie → stoeltjies.
How It Works
1. Always -s. It does not matter which diminutive ending the word has:
- boekie → boekies (little books)
- hondjie → hondjies (puppies)
- stoeltjie → stoeltjies (little chairs)
- balletjie → balletjies (little balls)
- boompie → boompies (little trees)
2. Ignore the base plural. The plain noun may take -e, -ers or an irregular plural, but its diminutive still takes -s:
- kat → katte, but katjie → katjies
- kind → kinders, but kindjie → kindjies
- skip → skepe, and the diminutive skepie → skepies
3. No apostrophe. Write katjies, never katjie's. Only the words that already have an apostrophe keep it: foto'tjie → foto'tjies.
4. Everyday words. Many common words are diminutives in form, and they follow the same rule: meisie → meisies (girls), koppie → koppies (cups), mandjie → mandjies (baskets). After a number, use the plural: twee koppies koffie.
Tip: when you turn a plural into little things, the diminutive stays plural: die honde becomes die hondjies.
Examples (6)
- Die katjies speel in die tuin.
The kittens are playing in the garden.
Word by Word: The cat-littles play in the garden.
- Ek maak twee koppies tee.
I am making two cups of tea.
Word by Word: I make two cups tea.
Koppie looks like a diminutive, so its plural is koppies.
- Die kinders bou huisies van klei.
The children are building little houses out of clay.
Word by Word: The children build house-littles of clay.
- Die stoeltjies in die klaskamer is baie laag.
The little chairs in the classroom are very low.
Word by Word: The chair-littles in the classroom are very low.
- Kyk na die mooi blommetjies!
Look at the pretty little flowers!
Word by Word: Look at the pretty flower-littles!
Blom → blommetjie → blommetjies: the -s goes on after -etjie too.
- Sy wys vir ons 'n paar ou foto'tjies.
She shows us a few old little photos.
Word by Word: She shows for us a few old photo-littles.
Foto'tjie keeps its apostrophe in the plural.
Common Mistakes
Leaving a diminutive singular after a number.
Ek het drie katjie.Ek het drie katjies.More than one little cat needs the plural, and diminutives form it with -s.
Adding an apostrophe before the plural -s.
Die kinders speel met hulle balletjie's.Die kinders speel met hulle balletjies.Diminutives take a plain -s. The apostrophe is only for words like foto'tjie that already have one.
Building the diminutive on the base plural.
Kyk na die kattetjies!Kyk na die katjies!Make the diminutive from the singular kat, which gives katjie, and then add -s.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Every diminutive forms its plural with -s.
Related Patterns
- Diminutive -jie
How to form the diminutive in -jie before adding the plural -s.
Level 2 - Diminutive -tjie
How to form the diminutive in -tjie before adding the plural -s.
Level 2 - A Cup Of: 'n koppie koffie
Measure words such as koppie take this plural: twee koppies koffie.
Level 2 - What Diminutives Really Do
Explains what diminutives mean beyond small size.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice Plural of Diminutives in Bubblegum
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