Пысӑк
Pysăk
Big
Usage
Describes something large in size, scale or amount.
Grammar Note
An adjective stands before its noun and does not change (пысӑк ҫурт = a big building). As a predicate it needs no copula. A synonym is мӑн.
Пӗчӗк
Pĕchĕk
Small
Usage
Describes something small in size.
Grammar Note
It stands before the noun (пӗчӗк арча = a small chest). It also means "young in age", as in пӗчӗк ача "a small child".
Йывӑр
Yyvăr
Heavy
Usage
Used for the weight of luggage and other things.
Grammar Note
Besides "heavy" it means "hard, difficult" (йывӑр чул = a heavy stone, йывӑр ӗҫ = hard work).
Ҫӑмӑл
Çămăl
Light (weight)
Usage
Says that something is not heavy.
Grammar Note
Besides "light" it can mean "easy" (ҫӑмӑл ҫӗклем = a light load). The opposite is йывӑр. A homograph ҫӑмӑл also means "pretext".
Хаклӑ
Khaklă
Expensive
Usage
Used when something costs a lot.
Grammar Note
Built from хак "price" + -лӑ "having", meaning "expensive" (хаклӑ тавар = costly goods). It also means "dear, precious". The opposite is йӳнӗ.
Йӳнӗ
Yÿnĕ
Cheap
Usage
Used when something is inexpensive.
Grammar Note
Means that the price is low (йӳнӗ хак = a low price, йӳнӗ хакпа туян = to buy cheaply). The dictionary marks it as colloquial. The opposite is хаклӑ.
Вӗри
Vĕri
Hot
Usage
For hot food, drinks and water.
Grammar Note
Describes things at a high temperature (вӗри апат = hot food, вӗри шыв = hot water). For hot weather use шӑрӑх.
Сивӗ
Sivĕ
Cold
Usage
For cold drinks, air and weather.
Grammar Note
Used for things and for weather (сивӗ шыв = cold water, сивӗ сил = a cold wind). On its own, "Сивӗ." means "It is cold."
Ҫӗнӗ
Çĕnĕ
New
Usage
For something new.
Grammar Note
It stands before the noun (ҫӗнӗ кӗнеке = a new book). "Ҫӗнӗ ҫул" is "New Year". The opposite is кивӗ.
Кивӗ
Kivĕ
Old (thing)
Usage
For old things and buildings.
Grammar Note
Used for worn or long-standing things (кивӗ пӳрт = an old, run-down house). For an old person use ватӑ.
Ҫамрӑк
Çamrăk
Young
Usage
Describes a young person.
Grammar Note
It stands before the noun (ҫамрӑк ҫын = a young person). It can also be a noun meaning "young person, youth". The opposite is ватӑ.
Ватӑ
Vată
Old (person)
Usage
Describes an elderly person.
Grammar Note
Means "elderly" for people (ватӑ ҫын = an elderly person) and can also be a noun "old person". For things being old use кивӗ.
Таса
Tasa
Clean
Usage
Says that a room, dishes and so on are clean.
Grammar Note
Besides "clean" it means "pure, correct" (таса савӑт-сапа = clean dishes). The opposite is Таса мар.
Таса мар
Tasa mar
Dirty
Usage
Used for a room, toilet or anything unclean.
Grammar Note
таса "clean" + мар "not" gives "not clean" (dictionary example таса мар урай = a dirty floor). Adjectives and nouns are negated with мар placed after them. Composed sentence — native-speaker review recommended.
Лайӑх
Layăkh
Good
Usage
Says that something or someone is good.
Grammar Note
It stands before the noun (лайӑх ҫанталӑк = good weather) and also works as the adverb "well". A synonym is аван.
Начар
Nachar
Bad
Usage
Says that quality or condition is poor.
Grammar Note
Means "bad, poor" (начар ҫанталӑк = bad weather); it also means "thin, weak". A synonym is япӑх.
Ҫывӑх
Çyvăkh
Near
Usage
Says that a place or time is close.
Grammar Note
Used for distance and time (ҫывӑх ялсем = nearby villages); it also means "close" in a personal sense. The opposite is инҫе.
Инҫе
Inçe
Far
Usage
Says that a place is far away.
Grammar Note
Means a long distance (инҫе ҫул = a long road, инҫех мар = not so far). The opposite is ҫывӑх.
Ир
Ir
Early
Usage
Says that it is early.
Grammar Note
The word for "early" (ирех = very early). The same form ир is also the noun "morning". The opposite is "Кая юлнӑ".
Кая юлнӑ
Kaya yulnă
Late
Usage
Used for being behind schedule or for a late hour.
Grammar Note
The past participle of кая юл- "to fall behind"; the Russian-Chuvash dictionary renders "поздний/поздно" with кая юлнӑ. Composed sentence — native-speaker review recommended.
Нумай
Numay
Many / A lot
Usage
Says that the number or amount is large.
Grammar Note
Used for both number and amount, before the noun (нумай укҫа = a lot of money). The opposite is сахал.
Сахал
Sakhal
Few / Little
Usage
Says that the number or amount is small.
Grammar Note
Used for both number and amount (сахал ҫын = few people). "Сахал мар" means "not a little, quite a lot". The opposite is нумай.
Паян питӗ шӑрӑх.
Payan pitĕ shărăkh.
It is very hot today
Usage
For talking about the weather and temperature.
Grammar Note
паян "today" + питӗ "very" + шӑрӑх "hot". There is no present-tense copula; juxtaposing the words forms the sentence. Composed sentence — native-speaker review recommended.
Тулта питӗ сивӗ.
Tulta pitĕ sivĕ.
It is very cold outside
Usage
To say how cold it is outdoors.
Grammar Note
тулта is тул "outside" + the locative -та, "outside" (dictionary: тулта ҫумӑр ҫӑвать = it is raining outside). питӗ "very" + сивӗ "cold". Composed sentence — native-speaker review recommended.
Чипер
Chiper
Cute / Pretty
Usage
For praising a person, a child or an animal.
Grammar Note
A colloquial word for "pretty, pleasant-looking" (Вӑл чипер. = She/he is pretty). The dictionary offers it as one rendering of Russian "милый".
Чаплӑ!
Chaplă!
Great! / Cool!
Usage
To praise something splendid or stylish.
Grammar Note
Means "splendid, magnificent" (Чаплӑ ӗҫ турӑн. = Well done). The dictionary also gives it for Russian "классный" (cool).
Тутлӑ
Tutlă
Delicious
Usage
To say that food or a drink tastes good.
Grammar Note
Besides "tasty" it means "sweet" (тутлӑ апат-ҫимӗҫ = tasty food). The negative is Тутлӑ мар "not tasty".
Хаваслӑ
Khavaslă
Fun / Cheerful
Usage
Describes a cheerful mood or atmosphere.
Grammar Note
Means "cheerful, merry" (хаваслӑ кӑмӑл = a cheerful mood), from хавас "joy" + -лӑ. "Interesting" is Кӑсӑк.
Тӗлӗнмелле!
Tĕlĕnmelle!
Amazing!
Usage
Said when facing something astonishing.
Grammar Note
From тӗлӗн- "to be amazed" + -мелле "worthy of", literally "worth being amazed at" (Чӑнах та, тӗлӗнмелле япала ку. = It really is amazing).
Ытларах
Ytlarakh
More
Usage
To ask for more of something.
Grammar Note
A comparative meaning "more"; the dictionary lists both ытларах and нумайрах for "больше" (-рах is the comparative ending).
Кӑштах
Kăshtakh
Just a little
Usage
To ask for only a small amount.
Grammar Note
An emphatic form of кӑшт "a little", meaning "just a little" (the dictionary lists кӑшт, кӑштах, пӑртак). A synonym is пӑртак.
Ҫурри
Çurri
Half
Usage
For half of an amount.
Grammar Note
The noun form of ҫур / ҫурӑ "half" with the possessive ending -и, meaning "the half (of it)"; the dictionary lists ҫурӑ and ҫурри together.
Пурте
Purte
All of it / Everything
Usage
Means "all", "everything" or "everyone".
Grammar Note
пурте means "all, everything" (Пурте аван. = everything is fine). It works for things and for people.
Ҫителӗклӗ
Çitelĕklĕ
That is enough
Usage
To say that the amount is enough and no more is needed.
Grammar Note
The adjective "sufficient" (Ку ҫителӗклӗ. = This is enough). For a firm "that is enough!" use Ҫитет!
Пӗр ҫын
Pĕr çyn
One person
Usage
To give a head count in a shop or on transport.
Grammar Note
The noun after the numeral пӗр stays singular; ҫын "person" is also used as the counting word for people.
Икӗ ҫын
Ikĕ çyn
Two people
Usage
To give a head count in a shop or on transport.
Grammar Note
The noun after the numeral икӗ stays singular (икӗ ҫын). People are counted by adding ҫын after the numeral.
Виҫӗ ҫын
Viçĕ çyn
Three people
Usage
To give a head count in a shop or on transport.
Grammar Note
The noun after the numeral виҫӗ stays singular. A short stem виҫ also occurs in compounds and before suffixes (виҫ сехет = three hours).
More Chuvash phrases
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