Diminutives — Russian Grammar

Russian forms diminutives - words for small or dear things - by adding a suffix to the noun. They are very frequent in everyday speech, and they often express affection or politeness more than size.

Common Suffixes

Masculine: -ик, -чик, -ок - (dom) - (dómik), (stakán) - (stakánchikstakánčik)
Feminine: -ка, -очка, -ечка - (ruká) - (rúchkarúčka), (máma) - (mámochkamámočka)
Neuter: -ко, -це - (oknó) - (okóshkookóško), (zérkalo) - (zérkal'tsezérkalʹce)

The diminutive keeps the gender of the original noun, and consonants before the suffix often change.

Affection and Politeness

Я купи́ла тебе́ шокола́дку.
Ya kupíla tebé shokoládku.Ja kupíla tebé šokoládku.
I bought you a little chocolate bar.
Подожди́те мину́точку.
Podozhdíte minútochku.Podoždíte minútočku.
Wait just a minute.
Хоти́те ча́йку?
Khotíte cháyku?Xotíte čájku?
Would you like some tea?

Words That Have Lost the Small Meaning

Some diminutives have become ordinary words with their own meaning.

(rúchkarúčka) - pen (from (ruká), hand)
(bábushkabábuška) - grandmother
(dédushkadéduška) - grandfather
(dévochkadévočka) - little girl

Мои́ ру́чки о́чень ста́рые.
Moí rúchki óchen' stáryye.Moí rúčki óčenʹ stáryje.
My pens are very old.
Мой де́душка стар, но о́чень акти́вен.
Moy dédushka star, no óchen' aktíven.Moj déduška star, no óčenʹ aktíven.
My grandfather is old, but very active.

Names

Russian first names have short and affectionate forms used among family and friends: (Aleksándr) - (SáshaSáša), (MaríyaMaríja) - (MáshaMáša).

Приве́т, Са́ша!
Privét, Sásha!Privét, Sáša!
Hi, Sasha!

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Russian course

4 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 47. A few of them, with the words “Diminutives” is about in bold:

Я купила десяток яиц и для тебя шоколадку тоже.
Ya kupíla desyátok yaíts i dlya tebyá shokoládku tózhe.Ja kupíla desjátok jaíc i dlja tebjá šokoládku tóže.
I bought a dozen eggs and a candy bar for you too.
Lesson 47

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