Augmentatives and diminutives in Czech
What the hell is their usage?
1. Indicating the size of an object.
The object you're talking about can seem smaller/bigger when you use aug. or dim. version of the word.
e.g. dům (a house) - d. domeček (a small/er house), a. barák (a big house)
2. Indicating the object's personality/cuteness/kindness etc.
It may seem confusing from the first sentence, but it is not. Diminutive versions make the object seem more 'positive' - more cute, nicer (basically as we say - what's small, that's nice) while augmentatives make the thing look harder, rougher, less nice.
Basically diminutives are the Czech linguistic version of aegyo (애교.)
e.g. pes (a dog) - d. pejsek (a smaller/cute/nice dog, used also when you want to calm down some dog), a. psisko (an angry dog that's always barking)
3. Indicating your relationship with the object.
The thing you're talking about seems closer to you when you use a diminutive, therefore logically you can express hate with diminutives.
e.g. pes is a neutral expression. If you love the dog, you can use psík, pejsek, čumáček (I'd consider this expresaion kinda cringy), if you hate it, use rafan, psisko (although you'll be probably seen as a dog-hater if you're talking about a nice dog). Did you work hard on building your house and you're proud of it? Domeček. Do you hate the house you live in or is it almost falling down? Barabizna.
4. Sarcasm.
Oh boi, my favourite one. Although not that many people in the Czech Republic use it often, when they do it's GOLD. We can be sassy as hell, and you can almost taste the bitterness in our voices.
