Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| дорого́й | dorogój |
| ми́лый | mílyj |
| люби́мый | ljubímyj |
Russian uses different adjectives for 'dear' depending on whether you are expressing affection, describing someone's cute character or denoting someone as a beloved person. For example, дорого́й is used for addressing loved ones informally, while люби́мый is more intense, meaning 'beloved' or 'favorite'. If you want to describe someone as 'sweet' or 'cute' in character, you would use ми́лый. Additionally, the noun ду́шка can be used colloquially to refer to a person as a 'dear' or a 'sweetheart'.
What does it mean word for word?
The adjective дорого́й literally means 'expensive' in addition to its meanings of 'dear' or 'precious'.
Which one should you use?
While дорого́й can mean 'dear' in an emotional sense, it is also the standard word for 'expensive' when referring to prices. In contrast, люби́мый is stronger than дорого́й and specifically implies being 'beloved' or a 'favorite'. ми́лый is used to mean 'dear' specifically in the sense of being 'sweet', 'cute' or 'lovely' in character.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine adjective дорого́й changes to дорого́го in the genitive case, which is used for phrases such as 'of the dear friend'.
How do you pronounce it?
dorogój
Did you know?
- The colloquial noun ду́шка is a diminutive derived from the word for 'spirit' or 'soul', suggesting the person is a 'dear soul'.
- The word дорого́й shares a root with the word for 'road' (доро́га), though linguists debate if the 'dearness' of a path influenced the meaning of 'precious'.
- If you call a person дорого́й in a business setting, it may sound much more intimate or even sarcastic than the English 'dear', as it carries a heavy weight of personal affection.
Examples in context
- Уважаемый г-н Смирнов, мы благодарим вас за предоставленную возможность.Dear Mr. Smirnov, we thank you for the opportunity.
- Дорогой друг, ты всегда можешь на меня рассчитывать.Dear friend, you can always count on me.
- Любимая бабушка, я очень скучаю по тебе.Dear grandmother, I miss you very much.
- Любимый брат, ты лучший!Dear brother, you're the best!
Example conversation
Andrey is giving a card to Olga.
- Андрей AndreyДорого́й Ольга, это для тебя.Dorogóy Ol'ga, éto dlya tebyá.Dear Olga, this is for you.
- Ольга OlgaОй, какая красивая открытка!Oy, kakáya krasívaya otkrítka!Oh, what a beautiful card!
- Андрей AndreyЯ хотел сделать тебе сюрприз.Ya khotél sdelát' tebé syurpriz.I wanted to give you a surprise.
- Ольга OlgaСпасибо, Андрей, это очень мило.Spasíbo, Andréy, éto óchen' mílo.Thank you, Andrey, that is very sweet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dear” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
