Augmentatives show that something is larger, more intense, or sometimes more impressive or even ridiculous. In German they often add flavor and attitude.
Formation
Augmentatives are formed by adding specific suffixes to the noun stem; the ending you choose can depend on gender, dialect, and whether you want a serious or humorous effect.
-chen
The diminutive -chen makes things small or cute, so it's not used for augmentatives; keep it in mind because it changes gender to neuter.
-ling
The suffix -ling can sometimes make an augmentative or denote a kind of person or creature; it adds a slightly literary or ironic tone.
-ei
Endings like -ei (as in Bäckerei) often denote places or collections rather than size, so they are not true augmentatives.
-skopf / -kopf
Adding -kopf or -skopf turns a noun into a kind of insult or nickname and can feel augmentative when applied to people or animals.
Dialectal Endings
Regions have their own augmentative suffixes like -l, -la, -le, or -i which appear in Bavarian, Swabian, or Swiss German and give a local flavor.
The little house is small, but the house next to it is a big one.
Examples
Meaning Nuances
Augmentatives can signal literal size, greater importance, or sometimes mockery; context and tone determine whether the form is taken seriously or humorously.
Summary
Augmentatives enrich description by marking extra size or force and by adding speaker attitude; learn common suffixes and watch for dialectal variants.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025