das Dörfchen
little village
A small village; the diminutive form of 'Dorf' (village) can also have an affectionate or slightly disparaging tone.
EXAMPLE
In dem Dörfchen kennt jeder jeden.
Everyone knows everyone in the little village.
das Dörfchen
little village
das Dörfchen, die Dörfchen
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Dörfchen, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| plural | die Dörfchen |
| genitive | des Dörfchens |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Dörfchen | die Dörfchen |
| accusative | das Dörfchen | die Dörfchen |
| dative | dem Dörfchen | den Dörfchen |
| genitive | des Dörfchens | der Dörfchen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word structure
'Dörfchen' (little village) consists of 'Dorf' (village) and the diminutive suffix '-chen'. The 'o' in 'Dorf' changes to 'ö'; the suffix '-chen' is written out in full at the end of the word.
EXAMPLE
Neben dem See liegt ein kleines Dörfchen.
There is a little village next to the lake.
Typical collocations
Common combinations include 'ein idyllisches Dörfchen' (an idyllic little village), 'ein abgelegenes Dörfchen' (a remote little village), and 'in einem Dörfchen leben' (to live in a little village). The word therefore often appears in descriptions of rural places.
EXAMPLE
Sie lebt seit Jahren in einem abgelegenen Dörfchen.
She has lived in a remote little village for years.
Location expressions
To describe where someone is staying, 'in einem Dörfchen' (in a little village) is often used; to describe where someone comes from, use 'aus einem Dörfchen' (from a little village). After 'in', the dative case is used for a fixed location.
EXAMPLE
Er stammt aus einem Dörfchen in den Bergen.
He comes from a little village in the mountains.
In real life
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