Breakdown of Это был самый трудный денёк.
это
this / it is
трудный
difficult
быть
to be
самый
most
денёк
day (diminutive)
Questions & Answers about Это был самый трудный денёк.
Why use the diminutive денёк instead of день if the day was "the most difficult"?
In Russian, diminutives aren't just for small or cute things. Here, денёк is used pragmatically to soften the complaint, sound a bit ironic, or express relief that the hard day is finally over. It makes the tone more conversational and less heavy than saying самый трудный день.
How is the diminutive денёк formed from день?
The suffix -ёк is added, which replaces the soft sign (ь) at the end of день. Suffixes like -ёк and -ок are very common for masculine nouns to create this conversational, softening effect.
Why is the verb был masculine here when it follows the neuter pronoun Это?
In the construction Это был/была/было/были (This/That was), the past tense verb must agree with the noun that follows it, not with the dummy pronoun Это. Since денёк is a masculine noun, the verb takes the masculine form был.
Could I use the single-word superlative труднейший here instead of самый трудный?
You could, but it changes the vibe. Самый трудный sets up a direct comparison (the most difficult of all days). The -ейший suffix often just means "extremely difficult" and sounds quite formal or bookish. That high-register formality would clash with the casual, softened tone of the diminutive денёк.
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