Signification
A minor achievement.
Contexte culturel
Russians often value 'modesty' (скромность). Calling an achievement a 'маленький успех' is a way to follow the social rule: 'Don't praise yourself too loudly.' In modern Russian startups, 'маленький успех' is used to boost morale during long development cycles, similar to the Western 'celebrate small wins' culture. Russian teachers are increasingly using positive reinforcement, moving away from the strict Soviet style. 'Маленький успех' is a key phrase in this new pedagogical approach. On Russian Instagram, 'маленький успех' is a popular hashtag (#маленькийуспех) for posts about fitness, dieting, or learning new skills.
Use it for motivation
Keep a 'journal of small successes' (дневник маленьких успехов) to stay motivated while learning Russian.
Gender agreement
Remember that 'успех' is masculine. Don't say 'маленькая успех' even if you are a woman!
Signification
A minor achievement.
Use it for motivation
Keep a 'journal of small successes' (дневник маленьких успехов) to stay motivated while learning Russian.
Gender agreement
Remember that 'успех' is masculine. Don't say 'маленькая успех' even if you are a woman!
The 'Modesty' Filter
If you want to sound like a native, use 'маленький успех' when talking about your own achievements to avoid sounding arrogant.
Congratulating others
You can say 'Это твой маленький успех!' to encourage a friend who is struggling with something.
Teste-toi
Fill in the correct ending for the adjective.
Сегодня у меня маленьк___ успех.
The noun 'успех' is masculine singular, so the adjective must be 'маленький'.
Which sentence is the most natural way to celebrate a small win?
You finally understood a Russian meme. What do you say?
This is the standard, humble way to acknowledge a minor achievement.
Match the Russian phrase with its English equivalent.
Match the following:
These are standard translations for these common collocations.
Complete the dialogue.
Анна: Я выучила все падежи! Иван: Вау! Это не просто _________ успех, это огромная победа!
The context requires the nominative masculine form to describe 'успех'.
Match the phrase to the situation.
In which situation would you say 'Это мой маленький успех'?
This is a minor but personal achievement that fits the 'small success' criteria.
🎉 Score : /5
Aides visuelles
Where to find Маленький успех
Learning
- • New words
- • Grammar
- • Listening
Life
- • Cooking
- • Cleaning
- • Hobbies
Banque d exercices
5 exercicesСегодня у меня маленьк___ успех.
The noun 'успех' is masculine singular, so the adjective must be 'маленький'.
You finally understood a Russian meme. What do you say?
This is the standard, humble way to acknowledge a minor achievement.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are standard translations for these common collocations.
Анна: Я выучила все падежи! Иван: Вау! Это не просто _________ успех, это огромная победа!
The context requires the nominative masculine form to describe 'успех'.
In which situation would you say 'Это мой маленький успех'?
This is a minor but personal achievement that fits the 'small success' criteria.
🎉 Score : /5
Questions fréquentes
12 questionsIt is neutral. You can use it in almost any situation, though 'небольшой успех' is slightly better for formal writing.
No, for luck use 'маленькая удача'. 'Успех' implies achievement through effort.
The plural is 'маленькие успехи'.
You can say 'Я достиг маленького успеха' (formal) or 'Это был мой маленький успех' (neutral).
Yes, if you are describing the early results of a project or a specific skill you learned.
The opposite would be 'маленькая неудача' (a small failure) or 'большой провал' (a big flop).
It's understandable but sounds a bit like 'marketing speak'. 'Маленький успех' is much more natural.
'Маленький' is the standard adjective for 'small'. 'Малый' is more archaic or used in specific terms like 'Малый театр'.
Only if your tone is sarcastic. Usually, it is very sincere and encouraging.
Yes, it's a very common way to praise children for their progress.
'Успех' is the state of being successful; 'достижение' is the specific thing you achieved (an achievement).
It's a soft, breathy sound at the back of the throat, like 'h' in 'hello' but stronger.
Expressions liées
Маленькая победа
similarA small victory
Шаг вперед
similarA step forward
Большой успех
contrastA big success
Добиться успеха
builds onTo achieve success
Скромный результат
similarA modest result
