ABSTRACT
Diminutives are widely used by native speakers of Dutch and are an important expressive feature of the language. To explain this by saying that the Dutch have some fondness for the smallness of things (which natives them-
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be learned only with some experience in listening and reading. Here are a few examples:
De zon zit vandaag achter de ↔ Het zonnetje schijnt. wolken. The sun is hiding behind the The sun is (pleasantly) shining. clouds today.
