01
der Enkel
grandson
The son of one's own son or daughter.
example
Der Großvater spielt jeden Samstagnachmittag mit seinem Enkel im Garten.
The grandfather plays with his grandson in the garden every Saturday afternoon.
der Enkel
grandson
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word family
The word 'Enkel' (grandson) is part of the word family for generations. The generation before is the 'Eltern' (parents), and before them the 'Großeltern' (grandparents). The child of a grandson is the 'Urenkel' (great-grandson).
EXAMPLE
Drei Generationen waren auf der Feier: Großmutter, Mutter und Enkel.
Three generations were at the celebration: grandmother, mother, and grandson.
Gender and forms
'Der Enkel' (grandson) is the masculine form. For a girl, you say 'die Enkelin' (granddaughter). If gender is unimportant or you are speaking generally about a grandchild, you can use 'das Enkelkind' (grandchild).
EXAMPLE
Sein Enkel studiert in Berlin.
His grandson studies in Berlin.
Plural use
The plural 'die Enkel' can refer to several male grandsons. However, it is also often used as a general term for all grandchildren (boys and girls).
EXAMPLE
Die Großeltern sind sehr stolz auf ihre drei Enkel.
The grandparents are very proud of their three grandchildren.
Compare with
Enkel vs Sohn
son
'der Sohn' and 'der Enkel' both belong to the family context and refer to male people. The difference is the generation: a son is the male child of the parents. A grandson is the male child of one's own son or daughter. The words can be confused because both refer to a younger male person in a family. Pay attention to the perspective: for the parents he is the son, for the grandparents he is the grandson.
Enkel
Im Zug zeigt Omar seiner Großmutter ein Foto von ihrem Enkel.
On the train, Omar shows his grandmother a photo of her grandson.
Sohn
Sie wartet am Bahnhof auf ihren Sohn, weil er vom Training zurückkommt.
She is waiting at the train station for her son because he is coming back from training.
In real life
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