Thread: Diminutive usages...

I'm a bit confused about diminutives. I remember while browsing in another thread that you would use certain forms of a name in certain situations. Is there a certain pattern as to when to use them?

Like... for Anna, when would I use the following forms?

Аня, Анюта, Анечка, Аннушка

Анна - formal
Аня - almost all informal situations
the more diminutive forms - mother to child or something like that

Originally Posted by coolmario

I'm a bit confused about diminutives. I remember while browsing in another thread that you would use certain forms of a name in certain situations. Is there a certain pattern as to when to use them?

Like... for Anna, when would I use the following forms?

Аня, Анюта, Анечка, Аннушка

Анюта, Анечка - use them when you're talking to kids or to someone you know very well. Or when flirting .

Аннушка - usually applied towards not so young person. Or if you'd like to be ironic ( by making reference to Bulgakov's "Master and Margarita" character )

Aren't there a lot of people who hate it when you call them by one of those ultra-diminutive -юшенька forms?

Аlso you can ironically say Нюра, Нюрка. But it is not always ironical. I have two friends named Аня, and so that they won't answer at the same time when I'm addressing to one of them, I usually call one of them Нюра.

Originally Posted by Pravit

Aren't there a lot of people who hate it when you call them by one of those ultra-diminutive -юшенька forms?

Yes there are. And I think that non-native Russian speakers should be careful when using diminutives and other "language extensions" (and even avoid them when possible). There are too many subtle aspects of proper usage of them.

Originally Posted by DenisM

Анюта, Анечка - use them when you're talking to kids or to someone you know very well. Or when flirting .

Hmm... do I also use those forms if I supposedly have a girlfriend and I were talking to/about her?

Originally Posted by coolmario

Originally Posted by DenisM

Анюта, Анечка - use them when you're talking to kids or to someone you know very well. Or when flirting .

Hmm... do I also use those forms if I supposedly have a girlfriend and I were talking to/about her?

Why not?