Learn Dutch: Het meisje wil een snoepje.

In Dutch, every single diminutive word (words ending in -je, like meisje and snoepje) automatically gets the article het. Even though a girl is a female person, the grammatical rule for diminutives always wins, so it must be het meisje.

What does the -je do in the word snoepje?

The base word snoep refers to candy or sweets as a general amount or category. Adding the diminutive ending -je turns it into one individual, little piece of candy.

Why is the verb wil instead of wilt?

The verb willen (to want) is irregular. Normally, we add a -t to the end of the verb for a third-person subject like a girl or a boy. However, for willen, the correct form is simply wil.

Is meisje a diminutive word too?

Yes! It has the diminutive -je ending and comes from the older word meid (maid or young woman). In modern Dutch, meisje is the standard, everyday word for a girl, and it is almost always used in this diminutive form.