Diminutives

The Czech language is well known for its frequent use of diminutives.

We dereive the diminutives from a base word to convey endearment, intimacy, small size or small intensity.

A diminutive is usually derived from a root word by adding a suffix.
When we add a diminutive suffix, the preceding syllables are often lengthened, shortened, or softened or are somehow altered.
Many diminutives can be derived by using suffixes. However, there are many irregularities, and we must memorize them.

NOUNS
A Czech diminutive noun can be translated as "little."
Most nouns can form two degrees. However, some can form even higher degrees, but some can form only the second or the first.

Strom (a tree)
1st degree: stromek (little tree)
2nf degree: stromeček (little little tree)

only 1st degree: zajíc (rabbit) – zajíček (little rabbit)
only 2nd degree: duše (soul) – dušička (little soul)

1st-degree suffixes
masculine: -ek or -ík or -ín
kůň (horse) – koník (little horse)
dům (house) – domek little house)
stůl (table) – stolek (little table)
stroj (machine) – strojek (little machine)

feminine: -ka or -ín
ruka (hand) – ručka (little hand)
deka (blanket) – dečka (little blanket)

neuter: -ko
mimino – miminko (little baby)

2nd degree suffixes
masculine: eček, íček, -ýlek
feminine: -ečka, -ička, -ěnka, -inka, -elka
neuter: -ečko, -ičko, -ýlko, -átko

The second degree is derived from the first degree if it exists (if not, it is derived from the root word).

ručička (little hand), koníček (little horse), holčička (little girl), stoleček (little table), domeček (little house), dečička (little blanket)

Some diminutives formed from the same word can have different meanings:
Chlap (chap) – chlápek (a bloke), chlapík (a fellow),
důl (mine) – důlek, dolík, (dent, hole) - dolíček. (dimple)

Sometimes the diminutive meaning is almost lost and the diminutive is essentially synonymous to its root word:
srna – srnka (doe)
kniha – knížka (book)
svíce – svíčka (candle)

3rd-degree suffixes
Not many nouns can form higher degrees, but some can, and it's fun.
Suffixes: -ineček, - inečka

Prdel (butt) – prdelka – prdelinka – prdelinečka

ADJECTIVES
Not only nouns but also many adjectives can form diminutives by adding suffixes.

1st degree: “-avý” or “-atý”
(singular - plural)
masculine: avý or atý – aví or atí
feminine avé or até – avé or até
neuter: avá or atá – avá or atá

2nd degree: “-čký” or “-čkatý”
(singular - plural)
masculine: čký or čkatý – čcí or čkatí
feminine čká or čkatá – čké or čkaté
neuter: čké or čkaté – čká or čkaté

similarly: -oučký or -inkatý

malý (small, little) – 1. malinký or malinkatý – 3. maličký or maličkatý
šedivý (gray) – šedivoučký

Je to malý stromek. (It is a small little tree.)
Je to malinkatý stromeček. (it is a very small little tree.)

VERBS
The Czech language has many verbs that only have diminutive meanings:
ťapat (to walk)
papat (to eat)
hamat (to eat)
hajat (to lie)

Some verbs can create diminutives by adding the suffixes before the infinitive suffix.

1st degree: - k
ťapat - ťapkat (to walk)
hamat - hamkat
papat - papkat

2nd degree: -ink
spát – spinkat
hajat – hajinkat
hamat – haminkat
papat - papinkat

Note: this lesson does not contain all suffixes. Diminutives are an important part of the Czech language. Thanks to the Czech language's ability to create words by prefixes and suffixes , the options for forming diminutives are endless.