Editing Dutch grammar (section)

===Diminutive===

Many nouns have a [[diminutive]] form alongside the normal base form. This form is used to indicate small size, or emphasize a particular endearing quality. Use of diminutives is very common, so much that they could be considered part of the noun's inflectional paradigm.

There are two basic ways to form the diminutive: with {{lang|nl|-tje}} or with {{lang|nl|-ke(n)}}. The former is the standard way, while the latter is found in some dialects, mostly in the south ([[Brabantian dialect|Brabantian]] and [[Limburgish]]). The diminutive on {{lang|nl|-ke(n)}} is common in informal Belgian Dutch (due to final-n deletion in Dutch, the final -n is often not pronounced). All diminutives have neuter gender, no matter what the gender of the original noun was. The plural is always formed with {{lang|nl|-s}}.

====Diminutive in {{lang|nl|-tje}}====

The basic suffix {{lang|nl|-tje}} is modified in different ways depending on the final sounds of the noun it is attached to.

The {{lang|nl|-t-}} is removed from the ending when added to words ending in a [[fricative]] or [[plosive]] (-b, -c, -d, -f, -g, -ch, -k, -p, -q, -s, -sj, -t, -v, -x, -z).

* hond → hondje
* brief → briefje
* hok → hokje
* vis → visje
* douche → doucheje ({{IPA|/duʃ/}} → {{IPA|/ˈduʃ(j)ə/}})
* race → raceje ({{IPA|/reːs/}} → {{IPA|/ˈreːsjə/}} ~ {{IPA|/ˈreːʃə/}})

The last two words end in a consonant sound, despite not being spelled that way.

When the vowel of the last syllable is both short and stressed, and it is followed by a [[sonorant]], an extra schwa {{lang|nl|-e-}} is inserted, giving {{lang|nl|-etje}}.
* kom → kommetje
* pil → pilletje
* lam → lammetje
* ding → dingetje
* vriendin → vriendinnetje
* baron → baronnetje

In all other cases, the basic form {{lang|nl|-tje}} is used. This includes:
* Words ending in a stressed tense/long vowel or [[diphthong]].
* Words ending in any unstressed vowel.
* Words ending in one of the above types of vowel, followed by {{lang|nl|-l}}, {{lang|nl|-n}}, {{lang|nl|-r}}.
* Words ending in one of the above types of vowel, followed by {{lang|nl|-m}}. The resulting combination {{lang|nl|-mtje}} is assimilated to {{lang|nl|-mpje}}.
* Words ending in one of the above types of vowel, followed by {{lang|nl|-ng}}. The resulting combination {{lang|nl|-ngtje}} is assimilated to {{lang|nl|-nkje}}.

When the final vowel is long, it is doubled accordingly. Final {{lang|nl|-i}}, which does not really occur in native Dutch words, is converted into {{lang|nl|-ie}}. Final {{lang|nl|-y}} gets an apostrophe.

* koe → koetje
* auto → autootje
* mama → mamaatje
* vrouw → vrouwtje
* taxi → taxietje
* baby → baby'tje
* school → schooltje
* kuil → kuiltje
* maan → maantje
* muur → muurtje
* appel → appeltje
* boom → boompje
* duim → duimpje
* bodem → bodempje
* koning → koninkje
* houding → houdinkje

In the case of the vowels {{lang|nl|oe}} and {{lang|nl|ie}}, there is some ambiguity. While pronounced short in many dialects, they can also be long for some speakers, so forms both with and without the extra {{lang|nl|-e-}} can be found.
* bloem → bloemetje ''or'' bloempje (however {{lang|nl|bloemetje}} has an additional meaning: {{lang|en|bouquet}})<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://taaladvies.net/taal/advies/vraag/1195/bloem_bloempje_bloemetje/|title = Bloempje / Bloemetje – Taaladvies}}</ref>
* wiel → wieltje ''or'' wieletje

====Diminutive in {{lang|nl|-ke(n)}}====

In the south, the ending {{lang|nl|-ke(n)}} is often used instead. It also has different forms depending on the preceding sounds, with rules very similar to those for the {{lang|nl|-tje}} ending.

An older form of this ending was {{lang|nl|-ken}}, which is more like its German cognate {{lang|de|-chen}}. This form is not used much today, due to final n-deletion which is common in Dutch, but it is still found in older texts and names. A famous example is {{lang|nl|[[Manneken Pis]]}}.

When the word ends in a [[Velar consonant|velar]] consonant (-g, -ch, -k, -ng), an extra [[Dissimilation|dissimilative]] {{lang|nl|-s-}} is inserted, giving {{lang|nl|-ske(n)}}.
* dag → dagske
* lach → lachske
* stok → stokske
* ding → dingske
* koning → koningske

An extra {{lang|nl|-e-}} is inserted in three cases, giving {{lang|nl|-eke(n)}}:
* Words ending in a non-velar plosive (-p, -b, -t, -d).
* Words ending in {{lang|nl|-n}}, which is not a velar itself but would assimilate to one before the following {{lang|nl|-k-}}.
* Words ending in {{lang|nl|-m}}, {{lang|nl|-l}} or {{lang|nl|-r}} preceded by a stressed short vowel.

Examples:

* hond → hondeke
* voet → voeteke
* map → mappeke
* boon → boneke
* bon → bonneke
* kom → kommeke
* hol → holleke
* bar → barreke

In all other cases, the ending is the basic {{lang|nl|-ke(n)}}. This includes:
* Words ending in a vowel.
* Words ending in a non-velar [[fricative]] (-f, -v, -s, -z).
* Words ending in {{lang|nl|-m}}, {{lang|nl|-l}}, {{lang|nl|-r}} preceded by a long vowel, [[diphthong]], or unstressed vowel.

Examples:

* mama → mamake
* koe → koeke
* slof → slofke
* doos → dooske
* school → schoolke
* muur → muurke
* boom → boomke
* bodem → bodemke

====[[Diaeresis (diacritic)|Diaeresis]] in diminutives====

Standard Dutch, as well as most dialects, do not use [[Diaeresis (diacritic)|diaeresis]] as a grammatical marker. However, some eastern dialects (East [[Brabantian dialect|Brabantian]], [[Limburgish]] and many [[Low Saxon dialects in the Netherlands|Low Saxon]] areas) have regular diaeresis of the preceding vowel in diminutives. As this is not a standard feature, it is rare in the written language except when used to evoke a local feeling. It can be more common in the spoken language. Some examples:

* {{lang|nl|man}} → {{lang|nl|menneke}}
* {{lang|nl|boom}} → {{lang|nl|beumke}}
* {{lang|nl|pop}} → {{lang|nl|pupke}}

====Diminutives of nouns with irregular plurals====

Nouns with irregular plurals tend to have the same irregularity in the diminutive as well. This is not a rule, however, and both forms can often be found. For some nouns, the irregularity is more common in the plural of the diminutive, and only rarely appears in the singular. Some examples:

* {{lang|nl|blad}} "leaf; sheet of paper" → {{lang|nl|blaadje}} "small leaf; folio", in plural also {{lang|nl|bladertjes}}
* {{lang|nl|dag}} "day" → {{lang|nl|dagje}} "short day", in plural also {{lang|nl|daagjes}}
* {{lang|nl|glas}} "drinking glass" → {{lang|nl|glaasje}} "small glass"
* {{lang|nl|kind}} "child" → {{lang|nl|kindje}} "toddler", in plural also {{lang|nl|kindertjes}}
* {{lang|nl|pad}} "path" → {{lang|nl|paadje}} "narrow or short path" (vs. {{lang|nl|pad}} "toad" → {{lang|nl|padje}} "toadlet")
* {{lang|nl|rad}} "wheel" → {{lang|nl|radje}} or {{lang|nl|radertje}} "little wheel"
* {{lang|nl|schip}} "ship" → {{lang|nl|scheepje}} "little ship"
* {{lang|nl|spel}} "game" → {{lang|nl|speeltje}} "toy"
* {{lang|nl|vat}} "barrel" → {{lang|nl|vaatje}} "small barrel"