мале́нький
malénʹkyj
The English word 'small' is translated into Ukrainian as мале́нький (malénʹkyj) or мали́й.
Meaning: not large (adj)
Ways to say it
| Ukrainian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| мале́нький | malénʹkyj |
| мали́й | malýj |
The words are used to describe something that is not large in size.
Which one should you use?
The form мали́й is the standard, neutral adjective for 'small' and carries no extra emotional weight. In contrast, мале́нький is a diminutive form used to express that something is very small, tiny or to convey a sense of affection.
How does it change in a sentence?
The diminutive form мале́нький changes based on the gender of the noun it describes: use мале́нька for the feminine singular and мале́ньке for the neuter singular.
How do you pronounce it?
malénʹkyj
Did you know?
- The phrase малий can be used as a noun to refer to a younger brother or a younger boy in a family or group.
- The word мали́й is sometimes used in older literature to refer to a person of lower social status or a younger child, acting almost like a title of seniority or lack thereof.
- If you are describing a person as мале́нький in a way that sounds too patronizing, it can actually come across as an insult to their maturity rather than a compliment to their cuteness.
Examples in context
- У нас є невелика кімната для гостей.We have a small guest room.
Example conversation
Oleksandr and Mariia are looking at a gift.
- Олександр OleksandrДивись, який мале́нький подарунок!Dyvys, yakyi malenkyi podarunok!Look, what a small gift!
- Марія MariiaТак, але він дуже гарний.Tak, ale vin duzhe harnyi.Yes, but it is very beautiful.
- Олександр OleksandrЦікаво, що там всередині?Tsikavo, shcho tam vseredyni?I wonder what is inside?
- Марія MariiaДавай відкриємо його зараз.Davai vidkryyemo yoho zaraz.Let's open it now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “small” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
