kleinste

Kleinste is the superlative form of the adjective klein in Dutch and German, meaning the smallest. In Dutch, klein is the basic word for “small,” and kleinste is used to compare within a definite set, typically with a definite article. In German, similarly, kleinste serves as the superlative form of klein and can also appear as a noun in the form das Kleinste, meaning “the smallest thing.”

Etymology and form: The word derives from the common Germanic root for “small.” The superlative is formed by adding the suffix -ste in Dutch and -ste/-ste- with definite articles in German, depending on gender and case. The basic adjective klein undergoes standard inflection in both languages to produce klein, kleiner (comparative), and kleinste (superlative).

Usage in Dutch: Kleinste is used with nouns to denote the smallest item within a group, usually preceded by de or het, as in de kleinste kamer (the smallest room) or het kleinste kind (the smallest child). In general, the superlative is most common with definite determiners; indefinite usage such as een kleinste is uncommon or incorrect in standard Dutch.

Usage in German: Kleinste appears as the attributive adjective in phrases like der kleinste Mann or das kleinste Haus. It can also function as a nominalized form, Kleinste, meaning “the smallest one,” with capitalization when used as a noun.

See also: klein, kleiner, das Kleinste, die kleinste Form. The term is primarily a grammatical inflection used in Dutch and German to express the smallest degree within a set.