tanten

Tanten is the plural form of Tante in the German language, meaning “aunts.” It is used to refer to more than one aunt or to a group of aunts. The singular form is Tante.

Etymology and cognates: Tante is a loanword in German, generally traced to the French tante, with related forms in many Romance and Germanic languages. The exact path from Latin amita to modern German is debated, but the meaning has remained the same across languages.

Usage and grammar: Tanten follows standard German plural inflection. Nominative plural: die Tanten; Accusative plural: die Tanten; Dative plural: den Tanten; Genitive plural: der Tanten. Compounds include Großtante for a great-aunt, and Großtanten as the plural of Großtante. In everyday speech, phrases like Meine Tanten or Wir visited my aunts illustrate common usage.

Cultural note: In German-speaking regions, aunts are common family figures and may appear in family narratives, literature, and media much as in other cultures. The term is neutral and widely understood across Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland.

See also: Tante, Großtante, Onkel.