If you have spent any time listening to Afrikaans speakers, you’ve probably noticed something unique.

We love to make words “small”.

Whether we are talking about a small dog, a little cup of coffee, or even someone we love, we use what are called diminutives (or verkleinwoorde in Afrikaans).

Unlike English, where you usually add the word “small” or “little” before a noun (e.g., “small house”), Afrikaans changes the end of the word itself.

This is similar to how English changes “book” to “booklet” or “drop” to “droplet” - but in Afrikaans, we do it with almost everything!

Understanding diminutives is essential because it’s not just about size. It’s about attitude, affection, and sounding like a native speaker.

Here’s a simple guide to mastering Afrikaans diminutives.

What is a diminutive?

A diminutive is a form of a word used to convey slightness or smallness.

In Afrikaans, we use them for three main reasons:

1. Literal size: To describe something that is actually small (a puppy vs. a dog).
2. Affection: To show love or friendliness (calling a friend “babe” or “sweetie”).
3. Softening: To make a request or statement sound less harsh.

For example, asking for a “glasie water” (small glass of water) sounds much friendlier and more polite than just asking for a “glas water”.

The golden rule of diminutives

In written Afrikaans, the most common suffix (ending) you will see is -tjie.

However, you cannot just add -tjie to every word. The spelling changes based on the last sound of the word.

This can be tricky for beginners, but there are distinct patterns. Once you recognize the ending of the original noun, you will know exactly which suffix to use.

The 5 main endings for Afrikaans diminutives

To make this easy to digest, I have broken the rules down into groups based on how the noun ends.

Here are the main suffixes you need to know: -ie, -pie, -kie, -etjie, and -tjie.

1. Words ending in S, K, P, G, F (-ie)

If a word ends in a “hard” consonant sound like S, K, P, G, or F, you simply add -ie.

However, keep an eye on your spelling rules! If the word has a short vowel (like bak), you must double the final consonant before adding the -ie to keep the vowel short.

2. Words ending in M (-pie)

If a word ends in M, we add -pie.

Think of the “m” and “p” sounds - they are both made with your lips closed, so they flow naturally into each other.

3. Words ending in NG (-kie)

This is a strange one, but very important.

If a word ends in the -ng sound, you usually drop the ‘g’ and add -kie.

4. Words ending in L, M, N, R + Short Vowel (-etjie)

This is where students often get confused.

If a word is short (one syllable), has a short vowel, and ends in L, M, N, or R, we usually double the last letter and add -etjie.

This keeps the vowel sound short and snappy.

5. The standard ending (-tjie)

For most other words, especially those ending in vowels, diphthongs (two vowels combined), or long vowels followed by n, l, or r, we use the standard -tjie.

Note on pronunciation: Even though it is spelled -tjie, it is pronounced like -kie. So baadjie (jacket) sounds like “baai-key”.

Plurals of diminutives

Here is some good news: pluralizing diminutives is incredibly easy.

In Afrikaans, you usually have to decide between adding -e or -s to make a plural.

But for diminutives? You always just add -s.

No matter what the word is, if it is in its diminutive form, just put an s on the end.

• Hondjie (one small dog) -> Hondjies (small dogs)
• Bierjie (one small beer) -> Biertjies (small beers)
• Boompie (one small tree) -> Boompies (small trees)

Using diminutives for affection

As I mentioned earlier, Afrikaans speakers use these words to show love and affection.

You will often hear couples or family members using diminutives, even if the person they are talking to isn’t “small”.

Here are some very common affectionate terms you should learn:

• Hartjie: Literal translation is “little heart”. Used like “sweetheart”.
• Liefie: From the word lief (love). Means “love” or “dear”.
• Sussie: From suster (sister). Means “sis” or “little sister”.
• Boetie: From broer (brother). Means “bro” or “little brother”.

Even objects can be spoken about with affection. You might hear someone say:

Here, slaap (sleep) becomes slapie not because the sleep is small, but to make it sound casual and nice.

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Diminutives make Afrikaans a very expressive and colorful language.

Don’t worry if you don’t memorize every rule immediately. The more you read and listen to Afrikaans, the more natural these endings will feel.

Start by trying to use -ie and -tjie, and you will be right most of the time.