01
das Baby
baby
A very young human child, especially an infant or small child in the first months or years of life.
example
Das Baby schläft friedlich in seinem Bettchen.
The baby is sleeping peacefully in its little bed.
das Baby
baby
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Neuter despite referring to a person
Although 'Baby' refers to a male or female child, the word is neuter: 'das Baby' (the baby). The child's gender does not matter for the article.
EXAMPLE
Schau mal, das Baby lacht!
Look, the baby is laughing!
Origin from English
'Baby' is a loanword from English. That is why it is also pronounced in the English way, and the plural form is 'Babys'.
EXAMPLE
In unserer Krabbelgruppe sind zehn Babys.
There are ten babies in our crawling group.
Typical collocations
In connection with an infant, 'Baby' is often used with certain verbs: 'ein Baby bekommen' (to have a baby), 'ein Baby erwarten' (to be expecting a baby), 'das Baby füttern' (to feed the baby), or 'das Baby wickeln' (to change the baby).
EXAMPLE
Meine Nachbarin erwartet im Mai ihr erstes Baby.
My neighbor is expecting her first baby in May.
Context clue
When 'Baby' is used as a term of endearment for a partner, it usually appears in direct address, often separated by a comma. It is very colloquial.
EXAMPLE
Hallo Baby, wie war dein Tag?
Hi baby, how was your day?
Context clue
In the figurative meaning for a project, you can often recognize the use from the possessive pronoun ('sein Baby' (his baby), 'ihr Baby' (her baby)). The context is usually work, creativity, or a hobby.
EXAMPLE
Er hat Jahre an diesem Buch gearbeitet, es ist wirklich sein Baby.
He worked on this book for years; it really is his baby.
Compare with
Baby vs Kind
child
'Kind' and 'Baby' can both refer to a very young person. However, 'Kind' is broader: it can be a baby, a toddler, or even a schoolchild. 'Baby' refers especially to a very small child, often in the first months or years of life. Learners may confuse the words because a baby is always a child. But not every child is a baby. When you mean a very small child, 'Baby' is more precise; for young people in general, 'Kind' fits better.
Baby
Beim Einkaufen hat das Baby geschlafen, weil es sehr müde war.
While shopping, the baby slept because it was very tired.
Kind
Im Park sah ich ein Kind, das Blätter sammelte.
In the park, I saw a child collecting leaves.
In real life
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