How to say "my darling" in Russian
When to use it
Дорогой = to a man, Дорогая = to a woman. Also 'Любимый/Любимая' (beloved).
Syllables & stress
Literal meaning
Дорогой literally means 'dear' — and also 'expensive'. Same word, and Russians enjoy the pun. Endings follow gender: дорогой to a man, дорогая to a woman.
Formal or informal?
Warm but not exclusively romantic: also used in letters and, ironically, between colleagues. «Любимый/Любимая» is the unambiguously romantic one.
Variations
Examples
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "my darling" in Russian?
"my darling" in Russian is Дорогой / Дорогая, pronounced Dorogoy / Dorogaya (da-ra-GOY / da-ra-GA-ya — stress on the capitalised syllable).
How do you pronounce Дорогой / Дорогая?
Dorogoy / Dorogaya — IPA /dərɐˈɡoj/, /dərɐˈɡajə/. Syllables: da-ra-GOY / da-ra-GA-ya. Use the Listen button above to hear it.
What does Дорогой / Дорогая literally mean?
Дорогой literally means 'dear' — and also 'expensive'. Same word, and Russians enjoy the pun. Endings follow gender: дорогой to a man, дорогая to a woman.
Is Дорогой / Дорогая formal or informal?
Warm but not exclusively romantic: also used in letters and, ironically, between colleagues. «Любимый/Любимая» is the unambiguously romantic one.
Are there other ways to say "my darling" in Russian?
Yes: Любимый/-ая (Lyubimyy/-aya) — Beloved.
More phrases
Read next
How did this land?
One tap. No account, no email, no cookie banner.
Written by Vlad Lario
Russian in Lisbon. I read both sides and write down what differs.
About the author