Die Kleinen sitzen dicht beieinander im Zelt.

The little ones sit close together in the tent.

Breakdown of Die Kleinen sitzen dicht beieinander im Zelt.

• sitzen: to sit
• im: in the; (masculine or neuter)
• das Zelt: the tent
• dicht: close

Questions & Answers about Die Kleinen sitzen dicht beieinander im Zelt.

What does Die Kleinen literally mean, and why is Kleinen capitalized?

Die Kleinen literally means “the small ones / the little ones”.

• Kleinen is originally an adjective (klein = small, little).
• Here it is used as a noun (standing alone without an explicit noun like Kinder), so it is a nominalized adjective.
• In German, when an adjective is turned into a noun, it is capitalized:
  
  • die Kleinen = the little ones
  • der Alte = the old man
  • die Reichen = the rich (people)

So Kleinen is capitalized because it functions as a noun: “the little ones (probably children).”

Is Die Kleinen always plural? Could it be singular?

In this exact form, die Kleinen is plural:

• die (plural article) + Kleinen (plural adjective ending).
• It refers to more than one “little one.”

A singular version would look different:

• der Kleine = the little one (male)
• die Kleine = the little one (female)

So:

• die Kleinen → plural
• der/die Kleine → singular