German Phrase
Das ist nur ein kleines Leck.
Meaning
The sentence translates to ‘That’s just a small leak.’ It can refer to a literal water or gas leak, or be used figuratively to describe a minor problem that isn’t worth worrying about.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to acknowledge a leak or a small fault while reassuring the listener that it isn’t serious. It’s common in everyday conversation, in repair‑shop contexts, or when down‑playing a minor issue.
✦Grammar Breakdown
DasistnureinkleinesLeck.
Das (demonstrative pronoun)
‘Das’ points to a specific thing; here it is the subject of the sentence.
ist (verb ‘sein’)
Third‑person singular present of ‘sein’, used as a copula linking subject and predicate.
nur (adverb)
Means ‘only’ or ‘just’, used to downplay the importance of what follows.
ein (indefinite article)
Neuter singular indefinite article; it triggers weak adjective declension.
kleines (adjective)
Weak declension of ‘klein’ matching a neuter noun with the article ‘ein’ in nominative case.
Leck (noun, neuter)
Means ‘leak’; it is a neuter noun, so the adjective takes the ending ‘‑es’ after ‘ein’.
🗨In Conversation
Das ist nur ein kleines Leck.
That's just a small leak.
Gut, wir können es schnell reparieren.
Good, we can fix it quickly.
✕Common Mistakes
Das ist nur ein kleiner Leck.
‘Leck’ is neuter, so the adjective must be ‘kleines’ after the article ‘ein’.
Das sind nur ein kleines Leck.
The verb must agree with the singular subject; ‘ist’ is correct, but learners sometimes mistakenly use ‘sind’.
Das ist nur ein kleines lecke.
‘Leck’ stays unchanged; adding an ‘e’ at the end is a false pluralisation.
↔Alternatives
Das ist nur ein kleiner Riss.
That's just a small crack.
Es ist nur ein kleiner Schaden.
It’s only a minor damage.
Nur ein kleines Leck, nichts Ernstes.
Just a small leak, nothing serious.
Cultural Tip
In German, adding ‘nur’ softens the statement and can make criticism sound more polite. ‘Leck’ is a concrete noun, but Germans also use it metaphorically (e.g., ‘ein Leck in der Logik’ – a leak in the logic). Remember that adjective endings must match the gender, case, and article of the noun; ‘kleines’ is required because ‘Leck’ is neuter and preceded by ‘ein’.