Tender Words in Russian

Despite the sometimes cold climate, Russian is a very warm and affectionate language. If you know Russian grammar well, you can make almost any word sound tender and even turn a sweet word into a super-sweet one! Here are some of the most popular tender words in Russian: “lyubov moya” (my love), “kotik” (pussycat), “kotyonok” (kitten), “solnyshko” (small sun), “zaika/zaichik” (bunny), “malysh” (baby), “lapochka” (sweetie pie), “zvezda moya” (my star), “zolotse” (my gold). So, how do you create tender words in Russian? All you have to do is take a word and add a diminutive suffix to it: “ryba” (fish) can become “rybka” (little fish), “mysh” (mouse) turns into “myshka” (little mouse), “zvezda” (star) - into “zvyozdochka” (little star), etc. There are also some tender words in Russian for family members, friends or colleagues. For example, you can say “dorogoi moy” or “dorogaya moya” to a man or a woman with whom you’re on good terms. To praise someone, go for “umnitsa” (smart) or “krasavets/krasavitsa” (beautiful). Tender words in Russian are plenty. Learning to use tender words in Russian correctly will help you express love and affection for people you love as well as appreciation for other people in your life.