Word families: pick a root and see what grows from it
A root is the core of a word that its relatives share. Its vowel or final consonant can shift slightly (пис / пиш, ход / хож), but you will still recognise it. Each word below is split into its parts.
Fourteen prefixes and what they add
Prefixes mostly attach to verbs. They do two jobs at once: they add a meaning (in, out, across, finished), and they usually make the verb perfective, the “completed result” form. Many have a matching preposition: в (into) and в-, из (out of) and вы-.
| Prefix | Adds the idea of | With писа́ть, to write (or нести́, to carry) | With ходи́ть, to go on foot |
|---|---|---|---|
| в- (во-) | in, into | ||
| вы- | out, out of | ||
| при- | arrival, attaching | ||
| у- | away, removal | ||
| пере- | across; again; over | ||
| до- | as far as, to the end | ||
| за- | start; behind; a brief stop | ||
| от- (ото-) | away from; off | ||
| под- (подо-) | under; approaching | ||
| про- | through; past; a while | ||
| раз- / рас- | apart, in all directions | ||
| с- (со-) | down; together | ||
| об- (обо-) | around | ||
| на- | onto; enough; completion |
Before some consonants a prefix gains a vowel: в → во (войти́), с → со (сойти́), под → подо (подошёл). Prefixes ending in з change to с before a voiceless consonant: рас-сказа́ть, but раз-говор.
From verbs and adjectives to nouns
A suffix after the root turns one kind of word into another. Each suffix also fixes the noun’s gender, so learning the suffix tells you how the noun will behave.
Turning a noun into an adjective
English often puts one noun in front of another: “winter coat”, “city centre”. Russian usually turns the first noun into an adjective instead. Four suffixes do most of the work; a consonant at the end of the root may change before them (рука́ → ручно́й).
Small and dear: -ик, -очка, -енька
A diminutive suffix makes a word mean “small”, and very often “dear” or “cosy” as well. Russians use them constantly, with food, children, animals and in polite requests: Мину́точку! (Just a moment!). The gender stays the same as the original noun.
| Suffix | Gender | Plain word | Diminutive | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -ик | masculine | домhouse | a little, cosy house | |
| -чик | masculine | стака́нglass | a small glass | |
| -ок | masculine | сырcheese | a cheese snack | |
| -ка | feminine | рука́hand | a little hand; also: pen, handle | |
| -очка / -ечка | feminine | мину́таminute | just a moment (polite) | |
| -ушка | feminine | ба́баold woman | grandmother (now its own word) | |
| -ко | neuter | молоко́milk | a little milk (to a child) | |
| -енький | adjective | ма́лыйsmall | small, little (the everyday word) |
Every Russian first name has a short everyday form and several affectionate ones. The full name is for documents and strangers; the short form for friends; the affectionate forms for family and children.
Two roots joined with о or е
A compound joins two roots into one word, linked by -о- (after a hard consonant) or -е- (after a soft one). The second part usually decides the meaning, as in English “steam-boat”. Russian also forms words from the first letters or syllables of long names.
Work out the meaning from the parts
You haven’t met these words yet. Split them into parts, then pick the meaning.