-inho

See also: inho

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• -im, -in', -in (pronunciation spellings)
• -zinho (-z- + -inho)

Etymology

From Old Portuguese -ỹo, from Latin -īnus (“of or pertaining to”). Doublet of -ino.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Brazil) /ˈĩ.ɲu/, [ˈĩ.j̃u]

• IPA^(key): (Portugal) /ˈi.ɲu/, [ˈi.ɲu]

• (South Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈi.ɲo/

Suffix

-inho m (feminine -inha, plural -inhos, feminine plural -inhas)

1. forms the diminutive of nouns; -ie; -y; -ling; -let

   Synonym: see :Category:Portuguese diminutive suffixes

   1. indicates smallness, shortness, youth, fewness, etc.

      ‎casa (“house”) + ‎-inha → ‎casinha (“small house”)

      ‎criança (“child”) + ‎-inha → ‎criancinha (“young child”)

      ‎texto (“text”) + ‎-inho → ‎textinho (“short text”)

      ‎pipoca (“popcorn”) + ‎-inha → ‎pipoquinha (“a small portion of popcorn”)

      Synonyms: -culo, -ete, -ito, -ulo

      Antonym: -ão

   2. belittles the suffixed noun; -let

      ‎time (“sports team”) + ‎-inho → ‎timinho (“a bad sports team”)

      ‎país (“country; nation”) + ‎-inho → ‎paisinho (“a country of little importance; a powerless country”)

      Synonyms: -culo, -eco, -ilho

   3. indicates affection; -ie; -y

      ‎cachorro (“dog”) + ‎-inho → ‎cachorrinho (“doggy”)

      ‎terra (“homeland”) + ‎-inho → ‎terrinha (“land; country”)

2. (somewhat informal) forms the diminutive of adjectives and adverbs, roughly equivalent to English somewhat or kind of

   ‎grande (“big”) + ‎-inho → ‎grandinho (“somewhat big”)

   Synonym: meio

3. (informal) forms the diminutive of pronouns
   1. indicates smallness

      ‎aquele (“that one”) + ‎-z- -inho → ‎aquelezinho (“that small one”)

      Synonym: mesmo

   2. intensifies or emphasises personal pronouns

      ‎eu (“I”) + ‎-z- -inho → ‎euzinho (“I … myself”)

4. (Brazil, colloquial, regional) forms the diminutive of gerunds, indicating a lack of intensity or seriousness

   ‎chovendo (“raining”) + ‎-inho → ‎chovendinho (“drizzling”)

   ‎namorando (“dating”) + ‎-inho → ‎namorandinho (“having an uncommitted romantic relationship”)

Usage notes

In some suffixed words that have unusual endings (notably plural -ões and feminine -o, the the suffix does not necessarily replace the final element:

• ‎leões (“lions”) + ‎-inho → ‎leõezinhos (“lion cubs”) (alongside dated leãozinhos)
• ‎foto (“photo, f.”) + ‎-inh(a) → ‎fotinho (“little photo, f.”) (alongside proscribed fotinha)

-inho, -ão and -mente consistently do not alter vowel quality in the root:

• ‎certo (“accurate”) + ‎-inho → ‎certinho (“precisely correct (with /ɛ/)”) (compare certeiro, with /e/ or /ɨ/)

Derived terms

Portuguese words suffixed with -inho