Learn Russian: Вы уже прочитали мой отчётик?

In Russian office culture, diminutives are often used not to describe the physical size of something, but to soften a question or sound modest about one's own work. By asking about their отчётик (little report), the speaker makes the question feel less demanding and less like a strict deadline check.

What is the exact suffix used here, and does it change the gender of the word?

The suffix is -ик, added to the masculine noun отчёт (report). Suffixes like -ик and -ок are used for masculine nouns and do not change the word's gender. That is why the pronoun remains masculine: мой отчётик.

Since the speaker is using the formal Вы, is it normal to mix it with a casual diminutive like отчётик?

Yes, this is very common in modern Russian corporate communication. Colleagues often use Вы to maintain professional respect, but add diminutives to create a friendly, collaborative atmosphere rather than a strictly bureaucratic one. However, you would still avoid this in highly formal or external official emails.

Why is the perfective verb прочитали used here instead of the imperfective читали?