Diminutives: -chen and -elchen
Add -chen or -elchen to make something small or cute: Bam → Beemchen (little tree), Dësch → Dëschelchen (little table).
How It Works
A diminutive makes a noun small, cute or dear. Luxembourgish uses diminutives a lot, especially with children and in friendly talk.
-chen or -elchen. Most nouns add -chen. Nouns ending in ch, sch, ck or ng often add -elchen:
- de Bam → de Beemchen (little tree)
- d'Haus → d'Haischen (little house, shed)
- de Bréif → de Bréifchen (little letter)
- den Dësch → den Dëschelchen (little table)
- d'Buch → d'Bichelchen (notebook)
- d'Fläsch → d'Fläschelchen (little bottle)
Vowel changes. The vowel often changes, much as in vowel-change plurals: a becomes ee, ë or ä (Bam → Beemchen, Kand → Këndchen, Knapp → Knäppchen), au becomes ai (Haus → Haischen), and u becomes i (Buch → Bichelchen).
The gender usually stays the same. In German, every diminutive is neuter. In Luxembourgish, a diminutive usually keeps the gender of its noun:
- de Beemchen is masculine, like de Bam
- d'Haischen is neuter, like d'Haus
- eng Fläschelchen is feminine, like d'Fläsch
A few words have become separate nouns with their own gender, like d'Meedchen (girl), which is neuter. When you are not sure, check the Lëtzebuerger Online Dictionnaire. See noun gender.
Plurals. The plural of -chen is usually -ercher, and the plural of -elchen is -elcher:
- de Beemchen → d'Beemercher
- d'Haischen → d'Haisercher
- d'Meedchen → d'Meedercher
- den Dëschelchen → d'Dëschelcher
D'Këndchen follows the plural of its noun, like d'Kanner: d'Kënnercher.
Some diminutives have a meaning of their own: d'Bichelchen is a notebook, and d'Haischen can be a garden shed.
Examples (6)
- Am Gaart steet e Beemchen.
There is a little tree in the garden.
Beemchen is masculine like Bam, so the article is e (en before a vowel).
- D'Kënnercher spillen am Gaart.
The little children are playing in the garden.
Kënnercher is the plural of Këndchen.
- Hanner dem Haus ass en Haischen.
There is a shed behind the house.
Haischen is neuter like Haus.
- Hal de Knäppchen agedréckt, wannechgelift!
Keep the little button pressed, please!
Knäppchen is masculine, like de Knapp.
- D'Anna huet eng Fläschelchen Waasser an der Posch.
Anna has a little bottle of water in her bag.
Fläschelchen is feminine like Fläsch, so the article is eng.
- De Schoulmeeschter schreift d'Punkten a säi Bichelchen.
The teacher writes the points in his notebook.
Bichelchen comes from Buch with -elchen.
Common Mistakes
Making every diminutive neuter, as in German.
Dat Beemchen ass nach kleng.Dee Beemchen ass nach kleng.Bam is masculine, so Beemchen is masculine too. Luxembourgish diminutives usually keep the gender of their noun.
Using the -chen form for the plural.
Am Gaart stinn dräi Beemchen.Am Gaart stinn dräi Beemercher.The plural of -chen is -ercher, and the plural of -elchen is -elcher.
Forgetting the vowel change.
Mir hunn en Hauschen am Gaart.Mir hunn en Haischen am Gaart.Au becomes ai in the diminutive: Haus, Haischen.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Diminutives: -chen and -elchen, learn Plurals by Vowel Change.
Related Patterns
- Three Noun Genders
A diminutive usually keeps the gender of its noun, so you need to know that gender.
Level 1 - Plurals With -er
Diminutive plurals end in -ercher, and Këndchen follows Kanner: Kënnercher.
Level 1 - denThe Masculine Article Den
Masculine diminutives keep den or de: de Beemchen, den Dëschelchen.
Level 1 - en / engIndefinite Article: En and Eng
The indefinite article shows the gender: e Beemchen, eng Fläschelchen.
Level 1
Practice Diminutives: -chen and -elchen in Bubblegum
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