бедня́га
bednjágafeminine, masculine
In Russian, 'poor thing' is translated as бедня́га (bednjága). Wiktionary also lists бедня́жка (bednjážka) and бе́дный (bédnyj).
Meaning: someone or something to be pitied (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| бедня́га | bednjága | feminine, masculine |
| бедня́жка | bednjážka | feminine, masculine |
| бе́дный | bédnyj | masculine |
| бе́дная | bédnaja | feminine |
| бе́дненький | bédnenʹkij | masculine |
| бе́дненькая | bédnenʹkaja | feminine |
These terms are used to refer to someone or something to be pitied. You can use бедняга or бедолажка if someone is feeling unwell. The form бедолага is more suitable when someone is going through a challenging situation.
What does it mean word for word?
The noun бедняга is formed from the root for 'poor' (бедный) combined with a suffix that creates a noun meaning a person in a certain state.
Which one should you use?
While бедняга is a noun meaning 'poor thing', the adjective бе́дный is used to describe someone as being poor in wealth or unfortunate in a specific situation. The form бедня́жка is more diminutive and carries a stronger sense of endearment or extreme pity than бедня́га.
How does it change in a sentence?
When 'poor thing' is the direct object of a sentence, the noun бедняга changes its ending to беднягу.
How do you pronounce it?
bednjága
Did you know?
- If a Russian speaker calls someone бе́дный, they might be expressing a religious sense of being 'blessed in poverty' depending on the context.
- Depending on the tone, бедня́га can be used genuinely to comfort a friend or mockingly to point out someone's clumsy mistake.
- While бедня́га sounds like it refers to money, it is often used for people who are wealthy but experiencing emotional distress or a streak of bad luck.
Examples in context
- Бедняжка! Все будет хорошо.Poor thing! Everything will be fine.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “poor thing” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
