die Nichte
niece
The daughter of one's brother or sister.
EXAMPLE
Meine Nichte hat gerade ihr Abitur mit Bestnote bestanden.
My niece has just passed her Abitur with top marks.
die Nichte
niece
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word family
'Die Nichte' (niece) belongs to a pair of kinship terms. It is the female term for the child of a sibling. The male counterpart is 'der Neffe' (nephew), the son of one's brother or sister.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe einen Neffen und eine Nichte von meiner Schwester.
I have a nephew and a niece from my sister.
Usage pattern
To explain the family relationship, you often use the preposition 'von' (of / from). You can say: 'Anna ist die Nichte von Thomas' (Anna is Thomas's niece) or describe the relationship more precisely: 'Sie ist die Tochter von meinem Bruder' (She is the daughter of my brother).
EXAMPLE
Das ist Maria, die Tochter von meiner Schwester.
This is Maria, my sister's daughter.
Perspective
The word 'Nichte' (niece) is a relational term. You always use it from the perspective of the aunt or uncle to talk about the daughter of one's own brother or sister.
EXAMPLE
Als Onkel kaufe ich meiner Nichte gerne Geschenke.
As an uncle, I like buying gifts for my niece.
Compare with
Nichte vs Neffe
nephew
Neffe and Nichte both refer to the child of a brother or sister. Neffe is used for a son, and Nichte for a daughter. What matters, therefore, is the child's gender, not the gender of the sibling.
Nichte
Meine Nichte besucht mich am Samstag mit ihrem Vater.
My niece is visiting me on Saturday with her father.
Neffe
Mein Neffe besucht mich am Samstag mit seiner Mutter.
My nephew is visiting me on Saturday with his mother.
In real life
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