LingoflyThe diminutive in -άκι: not only about size
The suffix -άκι makes a small version of any word. το (to) σπίτι (spíti) → το (to) σπιτάκι, ο καφές (kafés) → το (to) καφεδάκι, η ώρα (óra) → το (to) ωράκι. The gender always turns neuter, whatever it was before. For example: “Πάμε (páme) για (ya) ένα (éna) καφεδάκι;” — Shall we go for a little coffee? A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
The suffix -άκι makes a small version of any word. το (to) σπίτι (spíti) (to spíti) → το (to) σπιτάκι, ο καφές (kafés) (o kafés) → το (to) καφεδάκι (to kafedáki), η ώρα (óra) (i óra) → το (to) ωράκι. The gender always turns neuter, whatever it was before.
But size has little to do with it. Ένα (éna) καφεδάκι (éna kafedáki) is not a small coffee; it is a warm invitation to one. Greek puts -άκι where English softens the voice or says "a quick coffee": ένα (éna) λεπτάκι (éna leptáki) — just a minute.
Sometimes the little word has become a word of its own. το αρνάκι (to arnáki) is lamb on the menu, not a small lamb. And το πιστολάκι (to pistoláki) is a hairdryer, though το (to) πιστόλι is a pistol.
Keep a measure. -άκι on every second word sounds sugary; one or two in a turn of speech is the normal dose.
Table
| the word | the diminutive | what it means |
|---|---|---|
| ο καφές (kafés) | το (to) καφεδάκι | a friendly little coffee |
| το λεπτό (to leptó) | το (to) λεπτάκι | just a minute |
| η κούκλα (i kúkla) | το (to) κουκλάκι | little doll |
| το (to) αρνί | το αρνάκι (to arnáki) | lamb on the menu |
| το (to) πιστόλι | το πιστολάκι (to pistoláki) | a hairdryer |
By example
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
not only about size: how does it work in Greek?
The suffix -άκι makes a small version of any word. το (to) σπίτι (spíti) → το (to) σπιτάκι, ο καφές (kafés) → το (to) καφεδάκι, η ώρα (óra) → το (to) ωράκι. The gender always turns neuter, whatever it was before.
What does it look like in a Greek example sentence?
“Πάμε (páme) για (ya) ένα (éna) καφεδάκι;” (páme ya éna kafedáki?) — Shall we go for a little coffee? A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.