-inho

Portuguese

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈi.ɲu/
• (South Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈi.ɲo/

Suffix

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

1. forms the diminutive of nouns
   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”)

   2. belittles the suffixed noun

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

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

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

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

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

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

   2. intensifies or emphasises personal pronouns

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

Synonyms

• (indicates smallness): -culo, -ete, -ito, -ulo
• (belittling suffix): -eco, -ilho
• (somewhat; kind of): meio
• (emphasises personal pronouns): mesmo

Antonyms

• (indicates smallness): -ão