Allerkleinste

Allerkleinste is a German adjective form meaning the very smallest or the tiniest, used to intensify the superlative sense of klein. It is created by attaching the prefix aller- to the superlative form kleinste, a pattern common in German to express extremity (for example, allerhöchste, allererste). The prefix aller- signals that something is the absolute extreme within a set or comparison.

Usage and meaning: Allerkleinste is typically used before a noun in attributive position, as in der allerkleinste Fehler or die allerkleinsten Details, and it can also function predicatively with sein, as in Der Fehler ist der allerkleinste. The expression emphasizes that nothing is smaller within the relevant context. It is common in both spoken and written German and tends to carry a slightly emphatic or humorous undertone, especially in informal or narrative prose.

Morphology: Like other attributive adjectives in German, allerkleinste agrees with the noun in gender, number, and case, taking appropriate endings (e.g., der allerkleinste Mann, die allerkleinsten Details, des allerkleinsten Fehlers). The form is most often encountered in everyday language, literature, and journalism when a strong emphasis on extremity is desired.

Examples:

- Das ist der allerkleinste Fehler, den ich bemerkt habe.

- In der Liste stehen die allerkleinsten Details, die noch geprüft werden müssen.

See also: allererste, allerhöchste, innerste, äußerste.