Be Careful When Using Diminutives in Spanish

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everything. It makes the message sound more loving, even if the object of which you are talking isn’t endearing. Even though you are literally saying, -ito (which makes the word a diminutive), you aren’t really trying to make something seem small. It’s more about saying something with love.There isn’t a perfect way to translate this into English. “Lovey,” or “Deary” are examples. However, English words of endearment are usually reserved for people we know, or animals we love, not conditions, inanimate objects, or people we don’t know, or belongings of people we don’t know. Not so in Spanish.Here are some examples of terms I have heard. I think you will find that in English, we wouldn’t normally try to make these sentences “softer” or more caring.<h2 id="eab1">-Ito or -ita is the suffix to make something a diminutive</h2><ul><li>Prontito (soon). ¡Espero que te mejores prontito! I hope you get better soon!</li><li>Lonchecito (lunch). Comemos un lonchecito. Let’s eat lunch.</li><li>Tempranito (early). Llegaste tempranito. You arrived early.</li><li>Despacito. We all should know this word by now. Thank you for all of 2017, Luis Fonsi! Pasame el vidrio, pero despacito. Pass me the glass, but slowly.</li><li>Name+-ito/-ita. Buenos días, Pilarcita. Good morning, Pilar.</li><li>Calladito (quiet). Quédate calladito. Be quiet.</li><li><b

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Malita (sick). My student left me a voice message the other day and said, “I’m not going to be in class because I’m sick.” In Spanish she said, “No voy a poder asistir a las clases hoy porque estoy un poco malita.”</li><li>Machito (male) hembrita (female). ¿Es hembrita o machito? Is your dog female or male?</li></ul>Be careful, though. Some words in the diminutive give the exact opposite idea, that of disrespect.<ul><li>Mujercita (woman). Mujerita, ¿podrías traerme la cuenta? Woman, can you bring me the bill?</li></ul>My boyfriend went out to eat in Lima with a mutual friend to celebrate his birthday. Our friend, an elderly US-American, was calling the server. “¡Mujercita!” she called. My boyfriend leaned over, and said, “That could actually be taken as an insult.”Our friend turned red and burst into nervous laughter. She looked around. “I’m so sorry! I have been saying that here in Peru for years! I thought it was nice!”<ul><li>Hombrecito (man). Este hombrecito fue muy malcriado. This man was very rude.</li></ul>The moral of the story is to be careful when using diminutives, and watch out for context clues so you know how and when to use them. Some of these warmer, fuzzier terms can be prickly and harsh. Watch out, or you might find yourself in hot waters.Thanks for reading!~MJ</article></body>

You might be thinking you’re being cute, but you could be insulting someone!

A few years ago I had a terrible cold. My boyfriend’s mother took me to the army clinic, since her husband was in the military, she has special privileges. I met a very nice doctor, a specialist. He told me he grew up in the slums of Lima and he is committed to giving back. He gave me unsolicited advice about how to protect my ovaries, saying that I had to put the lead apron over my “little stomach” to keep radiation from damaging my chances of birthing children.

This was not the first time a doctor has said this kind of thing. I went to an eye specialist because I had some throat troubles. He said, “Put your little chin on the tonometer.” I found these terms comforting, although unusual coming from a doctor.

In English, I don’t think we would say things like that. But in Peru, there are diminutives for everything. It makes the message sound more loving, even if the object of which you are talking isn’t endearing. Even though you are literally saying, -ito (which makes the word a diminutive), you aren’t really trying to make something seem small. It’s more about saying something with love.

There isn’t a perfect way to translate this into English. “Lovey,” or “Deary” are examples. However, English words of endearment are usually reserved for people we know, or animals we love, not conditions, inanimate objects, or people we don’t know, or belongings of people we don’t know. Not so in Spanish.

Here are some examples of terms I have heard. I think you will find that in English, we wouldn’t normally try to make these sentences “softer” or more caring.

-Ito or -ita is the suffix to make something a diminutive

Prontito (soon). ¡Espero que te mejores prontito! I hope you get better soon!

Lonchecito (lunch). Comemos un lonchecito. Let’s eat lunch.

Tempranito (early). Llegaste tempranito. You arrived early.

Despacito. We all should know this word by now. Thank you for all of 2017, Luis Fonsi! Pasame el vidrio, pero despacito. Pass me the glass, but slowly.

Name+-ito/-ita. Buenos días, Pilarcita. Good morning, Pilar.

Calladito (quiet). Quédate calladito. Be quiet.

Malita (sick). My student left me a voice message the other day and said, “I’m not going to be in class because I’m sick.” In Spanish she said, “No voy a poder asistir a las clases hoy porque estoy un poco malita.”

Machito (male) hembrita (female). ¿Es hembrita o machito? Is your dog female or male?

Be careful, though. Some words in the diminutive give the exact opposite idea, that of disrespect.

Mujercita (woman). Mujerita, ¿podrías traerme la cuenta? Woman, can you bring me the bill?

My boyfriend went out to eat in Lima with a mutual friend to celebrate his birthday. Our friend, an elderly US-American, was calling the server. “¡Mujercita!” she called. My boyfriend leaned over, and said, “That could actually be taken as an insult.”

Our friend turned red and burst into nervous laughter. She looked around. “I’m so sorry! I have been saying that here in Peru for years! I thought it was nice!”

Hombrecito (man). Este hombrecito fue muy malcriado. This man was very rude.

The moral of the story is to be careful when using diminutives, and watch out for context clues so you know how and when to use them. Some of these warmer, fuzzier terms can be prickly and harsh. Watch out, or you might find yourself in hot waters.

Thanks for reading!

~MJ