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 Base
base / cousin
Both words can refer to a female relative. Base, however, is an outdated or regional term, while Cousine is the usual term in modern standard German. Use Cousine in general; Base is mainly appropriate when the regional or old-fashioned wording is important.
Cousine
Im heutigen Standarddeutsch stelle ich Anna als meine Cousine vor.
In modern standard German, I introduce Anna as my cousin.
Base
Meine Großmutter aus dem Dorf nennt Anna noch die Base, obwohl sie meine Cousine ist.
My grandmother from the village still calls Anna my base, even though she is my cousin.
In real life
Loading video examples...