How to Say “Little” in Ukrainian

Ways to say it

These words are used to describe something that is small in size. While мале́нький and мали́й describe physical dimensions, the word ма́ло is used instead when you want to describe a small quantity or amount of something (meaning 'little' or 'few' in terms of volume or count).

Which one should you use?

The form мали́й is the standard, neutral adjective used to say something is 'small' in terms of size. In contrast, мале́нький is a diminutive form used to emphasize that something is 'tiny' or 'very small' and it is often used to express endearment, such as when referring to 'a little kitten'.

Related words

Not much (adv): ма́ло, небага́то.

Small amount (det): ма́ло.

How does it change in a sentence?

The adjective мале́нький changes its ending based on the gender and number of the noun it describes: use мале́нька for feminine nouns, мале́ньке for neuter nouns and мале́нькі for plural nouns.

How do you pronounce it?

malénʹkyj

What mistakes should you avoid?

Do not use мале́нький or мали́й to describe a small amount or quantity of something. For quantities, use ма́ло or небага́то instead.