Breakdown of Der Hund hat die allerkleinsten Pfoten.
der Hund
the dog
klein
small
haben
to have
der
who, which, that (relative pronoun; die, das)
die Pfote
the paw
Questions & Answers about Der Hund hat die allerkleinsten Pfoten.
What exactly does the prefix aller- add to the superlative kleinsten here?
The prefix aller- intensifies the superlative. While die kleinsten Pfoten means the smallest paws, adding aller- translates to the very smallest paws or the smallest paws of all. It strongly emphasizes the absolute extreme.
Why is the ending -en used on allerkleinsten?
It is a plural adjective describing the noun Pfoten (paws) in the accusative case. Since it comes directly after the definite plural article die, it requires the weak adjective ending. For plural nouns, the weak adjective ending is always -en.
Can I use the prefix aller- with the base or comparative form of an adjective?
No, aller- can only be attached to the superlative form. You cannot say allerklein or allerkleiner. It must always be combined with the superlative, as in die allerkleinsten or am allerkleinsten.
Why aren't we using the form am allerkleinsten in this sentence?
The construction with am is only used when the superlative stands alone as a predicate (not directly in front of a noun). Because the adjective here directly modifies the noun Pfoten, we use the definite article die and decline the adjective. You would only use am if you dropped the noun entirely, for example: Seine Pfoten sind am allerkleinsten (His paws are the very smallest).
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