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ESL forum >
Ask for help > about diminutivos!!!
about diminutivos!!!
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Mini9
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about diminutivos!!!
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This is special for native English:
do you often use diminutive words such a little kiss little eyes,, expressions to show love, like in Spanish we say ojitos, besito.
about the word godson is ahijado, but you really use and apply this word ..??
thanks .. is any1 knows .. pliz help me!! |
14 Oct 2012
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yanogator
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We have some special forms, and we use them occasionally, but it �s not like Spanish. We sometimes add "ie" or "y" to words or especially to names, which is very similar to the Spanish "ito/ita". We also have the ending "-let" (borrowed from the French "-ette") that is sometimes used. For example: Spanish Juan/Juanito English John/Johnnie-Johnny, Spanish: Juana/Juanita English Jane/Janie, Jean/Jeannie Aside from names, they are more often terms of endearment than indications of size. We might call a loved one "Sweetie". A very small book, especially if it has a paper cover, is a "booklet". I �m really having trouble coming up with examples that aren �t children �s words (like "tummy" for "stomach"), showing that it isn �t very common. You might get more from some of the others. Bruce |
14 Oct 2012
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Mini9
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Thank you so much.. I hope to get more examples. |
14 Oct 2012
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EstherLee76
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In English we use a lot of "nice and ...". For example, here in Peru, I notice that people say things like "calentito" whereas we would say "nice and warm." "Heladito" would be "nice and cold". |
14 Oct 2012
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Terri Lawson
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Hi , I agree with Yanogator that a lot of English diminutive words end with et, ette or let. Some examples are: booklet, kitchenette, locket, rivulet, pocket, coronet and cigarette. if we are talking about the young of creatures we can sometimes add the suffix ling or let, for example: duckling or piglet.
A term of endearment is darling (meaning a little, lovable person).
I hope this is helpful. |
14 Oct 2012
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julianach22
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You can use the suffix -o Kid - kiddo Sometimes the suffix -o can add a negative meaning: weird - weirdo (rarito) sick - sicko (enfermito) I hope it �s useful |
14 Oct 2012
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Apodo
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In Australia (where we are very fond of shortening words) we also have these informal terms: barbecue - barby grandchildren - grandies biscuit - bikky (not just used by children) Wellington boots - wellies umbrella - brolly breakfast - brekkie |
15 Oct 2012
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douglas
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I think the closest we come to the Spanish habit (also done in German) of adding the dimunitive to terms of endearment is to use "little", but we don �t use it to the extent dimunitives are used for this in Spanish and German.
Examples:
"You �re a little sweetheart"
"little devil"
"little cutie"
"little fatty" (be careful with this one!) (gordito)
Another thing you hear (slang--colloquial) is "-ems/ -ums"
(i.e. snooky becomes snookums)
We tended to not be so creative with our pet names I guess ("honey" and "sweetheart" seem to be the most common). Here is a link discussing pet names in English
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15 Oct 2012
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yanogator
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I �m not too sure about the exact meaning of "enfermito" in Spanish, but it might not be the same as "sicko" in English. "Sicko" (at least in the US) means a person who is twisted mentally, and thinks or even does bad things because of it.
Bruce |
15 Oct 2012
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