01
die Cousine
female cousin
The daughter of one's aunt or uncle.
example
Meine Cousine aus Hamburg kommt uns am Wochenende besuchen.
My cousin from Hamburg is coming to visit us this weekend.
die Cousine
cousin
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
Usage tips
Word origin
'Cousine' (female cousin) is a loanword from French. This explains its special spelling and pronunciation, which differ from typical German.
EXAMPLE
Die Hochzeit meiner Cousine findet in Frankreich statt.
My cousin's wedding is taking place in France.
Regional variant
In southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the word 'die Base' (female cousin) is also used for 'Cousine' (female cousin). However, 'Cousine' is understood throughout the German-speaking world.
EXAMPLE
Am Sonntag treffe ich mich mit meiner Base zum Kaffeetrinken.
On Sunday I'm meeting my cousin for coffee.
Specifying family relation
To describe the family line more precisely, you can use the additions 'mütterlicherseits' (on the mother's side) or 'väterlicherseits' (on the father's side).
EXAMPLE
Meine Cousine väterlicherseits wohnt in den USA.
My cousin on my father's side lives in the USA.
Compare with
Cousine vs Tante
aunt
'die Tante' and 'die Cousine' both refer to female people in the family, but they describe different relationships. An aunt is the sister of your mother or father, or the wife of an uncle. A female cousin is the daughter of an aunt or uncle. It is easy to confuse the words because both are often mentioned in the same family. A simple guide is: the aunt belongs to the parents' generation, while the female cousin usually belongs to your own generation.
Cousine
Meine Cousine und ich fahren im Sommer zusammen ans Meer.
My cousin and I are going to the seaside together in the summer.
Tante
Meine Tante hat früher mit meiner Mutter in derselben Stadt gewohnt.
My aunt used to live in the same city as my mother.
In real life
Loading video examples...