дорогой
dorogoy
In Russian, "my darling" is expressed as дорогой (dorogoy).
The phrase is a term of endearment used to address a person who is loved.
What does it mean word for word?
The word дорогой literally means "dear" or "expensive".
Which one should you use?
Use дорогой for a male and дорогая for a female.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes to дорогая when addressing a woman, and it changes to дорогие when addressing a group of people.
How do you pronounce it?
dorogoy
When do people say it?
The expression Золотце мое literally translates to "my little gold" and is used as a playful expression of endearment.
Did you know?
- While дорогой is common, Russian speakers frequently use 'animal' terms of endearment like зая 'bunny' or котик 'kitten' as direct substitutes for 'my darling'.
- Because дорогой also means 'expensive', a Russian speaker might jokingly refer to a high-priced object as 'my darling' if they are particularly fond of it.
- In Russian, calling someone дорогой can sometimes sound overly formal or dated, similar to 'dear' in English, and may be used ironically between acquaintances.
Examples in context
- С днём рождения, дорогой!Happy birthday, my darling!This example shows how to use дорогой in a birthday greeting.Tatoeba #13957363 by marafon, translation #13954145 by Ioan_Cristian
- Где ты, дорогой?Where are you, my darling?This example shows a question addressed to a person using дорогой.Tatoeba #12869485 by marafon, translation #7061750 by AmarMecheri
- Не оставляй меня, мой дорогой.Do not forsake me, oh my darling.This example shows a plea or emotional statement using дорогой.Tatoeba #8880411 by carlosalberto, translation #8880384 by carlosalberto
- Золотце мое, какой ты умный!My darling, you are so smart!
Example conversation
Dmitry is leaving for work and saying goodbye to Ekaterina.
- Дмитрий DmitryЯ ухожу на работу, дорогой.Ya ukhozhu na rabotu, dorogoy.I am leaving for work, my darling.
- Екатерина EkaterinaХорошего дня, милая!Khoroshego dnya, milaya!Have a good day, honey!
- Дмитрий DmitryСпасибо, дорогой, до вечера.Spasibo, dorogoy, do vechera.Thank you, my darling, see you tonight.
- Екатерина EkaterinaДо вечера, я тебя люблю.Do vechera, ya tebya lyublyu.See you tonight, I love you.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
