kleiner Cousin
The English phrase "little cousin" is translated into German as kleiner Cousin.
This phrase is used to describe a cousin who is younger than the speaker. In German, klein refers to age (younger) in this context, just as it does in English.
Which one should you use?
If the cousin is female, you must use the feminine form kleine Cousine.
Did you know?
- The word Cousin is a linguistic traveler. It entered German from French, which originally borrowed it from the Latin 'consobrinus', meaning 'cousin through the mother's side'.
- While Cousin is the standard term, some traditional German dialects use the indigenous word Base to refer to a female cousin.
- Adding the suffix -chen to create Cousinchen expresses a level of endearment that the English 'little cousin' does not necessarily imply.
Examples in context
- Ich freue mich, meinen kleinen Cousin beim Familientreffen zu sehen.I'm excited to see my little cousin at the family gathering.
- Mein kleiner Cousin ist so süß!My little cousin is so cute!
- Wir haben viel Spaß zusammen – der kleine Cousin und ich.We have a lot of fun together – the little cousin and I.
- Mein kleiner Cousin spielt im Garten.My little cousin is playing in the garden.
Example conversation
Laura and Lukas are looking at photos from a family party.
- LauraWer ist das auf dem Foto?Who is that in the photo?
- LukasDas ist mein kleiner Cousin.That is my little cousin.
- LauraEr sieht sehr süß aus!He looks very cute!
- LukasJa, er ist erst drei Jahre alt.Yes, he is only three years old.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Cousin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
