Disclaimer: I'm spelling everything phonetically, since it's impossible to:
- Type in Russian
- Explain the difference between feminine and masculine names using Russian font.
While
Russian names are all
generally gender-
specific,
nicknames are not. Actually, every Russian nickname is feminine.
Take the
names "Aleksandr" and "Aleksandra." It is
obvious which one is
feminine. (For those who can't tell, it's "Aleksandra")
Now, if you are talking to a Russian
friend, and he mentions a friend named Sasha, is this friend
male, or
female? You'll never know. Sasha, a feminine word, is the nickname for both Aleksandr and Aleksandra.
These nicknames can be compared to
Pat and Chris in
English.