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
das Baby
baby
A colloquial term of endearment for one's partner, often borrowed from English.
EXAMPLE
Keine Sorge, Baby, wir schaffen das zusammen.
Don't worry, baby, we'll get through this together.
das Baby
pet project
Used figuratively for a project, idea, or work that someone has developed with great commitment and personal effort and considers their brainchild.
EXAMPLE
Nach zwei Jahren Entwicklungszeit ist die neue Software endlich sein Baby.
After two years of development, the new software is finally his baby.
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 Kleinkind
toddler
Baby and Kleinkind both refer to a very young child, and the age boundary is not always clear-cut in everyday use. Kleinkind usually emphasizes the stage after infancy, typically between about one and three years old, while Baby is broader and less precise. Kleinkind is more precise for this developmental stage.
Baby
Das Baby ist fast ein Jahr alt und beginnt gerade zu laufen.
The baby is almost a year old and is just starting to walk.
Kleinkind
Das Kleinkind ist fast ein Jahr alt und beginnt gerade zu laufen.
The toddler is almost a year old and is just starting to walk.
In real life
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