Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| хоро́шенький | xoróšenʹkij |
| ми́лый | mílyj |
| обожа́емый | obožájemyj |
In Russian, the word for "adorable" depends on whether you are describing someone's cute appearance, their sweetness or the fact that they are actively loved by someone.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on the nuance of "adorable" you wish to convey. хоро́шенький and ми́лый are used to describe someone's appearance as cute or adorable, whereas обожа́емый is a participle meaning "adored" and describes the state of being loved by someone. While ми́лый is a versatile term meaning "sweet", "dear" or "cute", хоро́шенький is often used to describe something as "cute" or "pretty" in an endearing or diminutive way.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective ми́лый must change its ending to match the noun it describes: use ми́лая when describing a feminine noun or person, and use ми́лые when describing multiple people or objects.
How do you pronounce it?
xoróšenʹkij
Did you know?
- The word обожа́емый shares a root with бог, meaning 'god'. To adore someone in Russian literally means to treat them as a deity or to worship them.
- While хоро́шенький describes someone as 'adorable' or 'pretty', it can sometimes sound patronizing or condescending if used toward an adult. It is most naturally used for children or small animals.
- The word хоро́шенький is derived from хоро́ший, meaning 'good'. Adding the suffix turns a general quality of being 'good' into a specific aesthetic of being 'cute' or 'pretty'.
Examples in context
- Твоя кошка выглядит прелестной!Your cat looks adorable!
- Ты такой милый!You are so adorable!
Example conversation
Dmitry and Maria are looking at a photo of a baby.
- Дмитрий DmitryСмотри, какой хоро́шенький малыш!Smotri, kakoy khoroshenkiy malysh!Look, what an adorable baby!
- Мария MariaДа, он очень милый.Da, on ochen milyy.Yes, he is very cute.
- Дмитрий DmitryОн похож на тебя, Мария.On pokhozh na tebya, Mariya.He looks like you, Maria.
- Мария MariaСпасибо, Дмитрий!Spasibo, Dmitriy!Thank you, Dmitry!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “adorable” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
