-inho

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

   2. intensifies or emphasises personal pronouns

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

4. (Brazil, colloquial) 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”)