Evaluative and degree suffixes
Suffixes can attenuate, intensify, add affection, or signal colloquial evaluation.
- They combine grammar with stance and register, so a literal one-word English gloss is rarely sufficient.
| Pattern | Example | Typical effect |
|---|---|---|
| -оват-/-еват- | холоднова́тый | somewhat/too cold |
| -еньк-/-оньк- | ма́ленький, лёгонький | small/affective/expressive |
| -енн- expressive | здорове́нный | very large/robust; colloquial |
| -ущ-/-ющ- | большу́щий | very large; colloquial expressive |
| prefix пре- | предо́брый | very kind; bookish/expressive |
Read the model
3.17 · Evaluative and degree suffixes · table 1
-оват-/-еват- · холоднова́тый · somewhat/too cold-еньк-/-оньк- · ма́ленький, лёгонький · small/affective/expressiveMini-check
Interpret зеленова́тый. Which is more neutral: большо́й or большу́щий?
Apply this next
- Say the Russian examples aloud, cover the model, and retrieve the pattern once before continuing.