little man / figurine
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little man
A small man. Often used in fairy tales and legends or as a diminutive.
Im Märchen hilft ein Männlein der Königstochter, Stroh zu Gold zu spinnen.
In the fairy tale, a little man helps the king's daughter spin straw into gold.
figurine
A small figure that represents a man, often as a toy or decoration.
Die Kinder stellten die kleinen Männlein aus Holz auf der Burgmauer auf.
The children placed the little wooden figurines on the castle wall.
'Männlein' (little man) is a diminutive form of 'der Mann' (the man). The ending '-lein' makes the noun small and cute and always changes the article to 'das'. The vowel often changes to an umlaut in the process (a → ä).
Aus dem kleinen Haus kam ein altes Männlein.
An old little man came out of the small house.
This word is used almost exclusively in fairy tales, legends, and old stories. In modern everyday language, people do not say 'Männlein' (little man) when they mean a small man.
Das tapfere Schneiderlein traf im Wald auf ein böses Männlein.
The brave little tailor met an evil little man in the forest.
When 'Männlein' (figurine) refers to a figure, it is often combined with the material the figure is made of. Typical examples are 'hölzernes Männlein' (wooden figurine) or 'Männlein aus Plastik' (plastic figurine).
Auf dem Schreibtisch stand ein kleines hölzernes Männlein.
There was a small wooden figurine on the desk.
male / little man
Männchen and Männlein can both refer to a small man or a small male figure. Männlein, however, often sounds fairy-tale-like or diminutive, while Männchen is more neutral but can also sound slightly condescending. Männlein is especially suitable for a fairy-tale character; Männchen is possible in a more matter-of-fact description.
Im Märchen half ein kleines Männlein dem armen Jungen im Wald.
In the fairy tale, a little man helped the poor boy in the forest.
Auf dem Schild zeigt ein kleines Männchen den Weg zum Ausgang.
A little man on the sign shows the way to the exit.
