klein
small, little (in size) · little, young · small, minor, insignificant
Means 'small' or 'little' in size, amount, or age. It is one of the most common German adjectives and is also used as a noun (der/die Kleine) to mean 'little one' or 'child'.
What klein means
- small, little (in size) — Describing physical size of objects, people, animals.
- little, young — Referring to children or younger siblings.
- small, minor, insignificant — Describing importance, amount, or degree.
Heard in real German videos
Lines where klein was actually spoken, from German videos watched with DeutschChat.
- Äh, was mögen kleine Mädchen?Uh, what do little girls like?
- Lass dich drücken, meine Kleine.Let me give you a hug, my little one.
Example sentences
- Das ist ein kleines Haus.That is a small house.
- Meine kleine Schwester ist fünf Jahre alt.My little sister is five years old.
- Wir haben nur ein kleines Problem.We only have a small problem.
- Die Schuhe sind mir zu klein.The shoes are too small for me.
Grammar
| Comparative | kleiner |
|---|---|
| Superlative | am kleinsten / der/die/das kleinste |
When used as a noun, it is capitalized and takes adjective endings: der Kleine, die Kleine, ein Kleiner, etc.
Common phrases
- klein aber feinsmall but nice / small but perfectly formed
- von klein auffrom childhood / from an early age
- klein beigebento give in, to back down
- im Kleinen wie im Großenin small things as in big things
The mistake English speakers make
English speakers often forget to add the correct adjective ending, saying 'ein klein Haus' instead of 'ein kleines Haus'. Remember that adjectives before nouns need endings that match gender, case, and article.
Don’t confuse it with
- wenig — klein refers to size or age, while wenig means 'little' in quantity (not much).
- kurz — klein is for height or overall size, kurz is for length or duration.
Questions learners ask
How do you say 'little' as in 'a little bit'?
Use 'ein bisschen' or 'etwas', not 'klein'. For example: 'Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch.'
What is the difference between 'klein' and 'kleine'?
'Klein' is the base form. 'Kleine' is the inflected form used before feminine or plural nouns, or as a noun meaning 'little one' (die Kleine).
How do you say 'my little one' in German?
You can say 'mein Kleiner' (for a boy), 'meine Kleine' (for a girl), or 'mein Kleines' (neutral).