пла́кса
pláksafeminine, masculine
The English word crybaby can be translated into Russian as пла́кса (pláksa). Wiktionary also lists ма́менькин сыно́к (mámenʹkin synók) and ма́менькина до́чка (mámenʹkina dóčka).
Meaning: person whose feelings are easily hurt (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| пла́кса | pláksa | feminine, masculine |
| ма́менькин сыно́к | mámenʹkin synók | masculine |
| ма́менькина до́чка | mámenʹkina dóčka | feminine |
| не́женка | néženka | feminine, masculine |
| ню́ня | njúnja | feminine, masculine |
| ны́тик | nýtik | masculine |
The term is used to describe a person whose feelings are easily hurt.
What does it mean word for word?
The word пла́кса is derived from the verb плакать, which means to cry.
Which one should you use?
While пла́кса focuses on the act of crying, ны́тик refers more to someone who constantly complains or whines. Additionally, не́женка implies someone who is overly pampered or sensitive to discomfort, rather than just someone who cries easily.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word пла́кса is a common-gender noun, meaning it can refer to both males and females without changing its form.
How do you pronounce it?
pláksa
Did you know?
- The word ны́тик comes from the verb ныть, which describes a long, droning sound similar to a dog's whine or a creaking door.
- The word ню́ня is an onomatopoeic term that mimics the sound of a whimpering person or the soft sound of a sniffle.
- While ма́менькин сыно́к is a common idiom, the feminine version ма́менькина до́чка is used far less frequently as a pejorative, as daughters are socially expected to be closer to their mothers.
Examples in context
- Мой маленький брат настоящий пла́кса.Moy mal'en'kiy brat nastoyashchiy plaksa.My little brother is a real crybaby.
- Она просто пла́кса, когда смотрит кино.Ona prosto plaksa, kogda smotrit kino.She is just a crybaby when she watches movies.
Example conversation
Olga and Sergey are discussing a child's reaction to a small scratch.
- Ольга OlgaСергей, посмотри, какой он пла́кса!Sergey, posmotri, kakoy on plaksa!Sergey, look, what a crybaby he is!
- Сергей SergeyОн просто испугался, Ольга.On prosto ispusalsya, Ol'ga.He was just scared, Olga.
- Ольга OlgaОн плачет из-за каждой мелочи.On plachet iz-za kazhdoy melochi.He cries over every little thing.
- Сергей SergeyЕму просто нужно успокоиться.Yemu prosto nuzhno uspokoyitsya.He just needs to calm down.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crybaby” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
