German · People & Family

"Grandson" in German: Enkel

der Enkel

Say it: EN-kellmasculine · der Enkelnoun/ˈɛŋkl̩/

Grandson in German is der Enkel. Granddaughter is die Enkelin. Grandparents often say mein Enkel with obvious pride.

Grandparent chat

Mein Enkel kommt am Sonntag zu Besuch.
My grandson is coming to visit on Sunday.
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How to pronounce Enkel

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EN-kell

/ˈɛŋkl̩/

EN-kell. Clear short e vowels. Masculine: der Enkel.

"Grandson" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
der Enkelgrandson

Male grandchild.

mein Enkelmy grandson

Possessive.

die Enkelgrandchildren (mixed/male)

Plural form same as singular.

Enkelkindgrandchild

Gender-neutral option.

How to use Enkel in real life

  1. 1Grandparent chat

    Mein Enkel kommt am Sonntag zu Besuch.

    My grandson is coming to visit on Sunday.

    Mein Enkel.

  2. 2Photo sharing

    Das ist mein Enkel mit dem Fußball.

    That's my grandson with the soccer ball.

    Introducing a photo.

  3. 3School talk

    Ihr Enkel liest schon ganze Bücher.

    Your grandson already reads whole books.

    Ihr Enkel.

Mistakes English speakers make with Enkel

Incorrect: die Enkel (for one boy)

Correct: der Enkel

One grandson is der Enkel; die Enkel is plural.

Incorrect: der Enkelin

Correct: die Enkelin

Female grandchild is die Enkelin.

Good to know

Enkel is warm everyday family vocabulary. Older speakers may show phone photos of der Enkel without much prompting. Enkelkinder covers mixed groups of grandchildren.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Coffee with a neighbor

  1. ChatPal

    Wie alt ist dein Enkel jetzt?

    How old is your grandson now?

  2. You

    Mein Enkel wird im Mai acht.

    My grandson turns eight in May.

  3. ChatPal

    Schön. Spielt der Enkel noch Fußball?

    Nice. Does the grandson still play soccer?

  4. You

    Ja, mein Enkel trainiert zweimal die Woche.

    Yes, my grandson trains twice a week.

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"Grandson" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Grandson" in German

Grandson vs granddaughter?

Der Enkel / die Enkelin.

Plural?

Die Enkel; for girls only, Enkelinnen.

Gender-neutral?

Das Enkelkind / die Enkelkinder.

Gender of Enkel?

Masculine: der Enkel.

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