Language/Russian/Grammar/Adjective-Agreement
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Introduction[edit | edit source]
In this lesson, we will learn about adjective agreement in Russian. Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns, and they must agree with the nouns they modify in gender, number, and case. Understanding adjective agreement is crucial for building correct and meaningful sentences in Russian. So let's dive into the fascinating world of adjective agreement!
Gender Agreement[edit | edit source]
In Russian, nouns are classified into three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. Adjectives must agree with the gender of the noun they modify. Let's take a look at how adjective agreement works for each gender.
Masculine Nouns[edit | edit source]
When modifying masculine nouns with adjectives, the adjectives must take on the masculine form. Here are some examples:
| Russian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| большой дом | bol'shoy dom | big house |
| красивый мужчина | krasivyy muzhchina | handsome man |
| новый автомобиль | novyy avtomobil' | new car |
As you can see, the adjectives "большой" (big), "красивый" (handsome), and "новый" (new) agree with the masculine nouns they modify.
Feminine Nouns[edit | edit source]
When modifying feminine nouns with adjectives, the adjectives must take on the feminine form. Here are some examples:
| Russian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| красивая женщина | krasivaya zhenshchina | beautiful woman |
| интересная книга | interesnaya kniga | interesting book |
| высокая девушка | vysokaya devushka | tall girl |
The adjectives "красивая" (beautiful), "интересная" (interesting), and "высокая" (tall) agree with the feminine nouns they modify.
Neuter Nouns[edit | edit source]
When modifying neuter nouns with adjectives, the adjectives must take on the neuter form. Here are some examples:
| Russian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| большое окно | bol'shoye okno | big window |
| холодное пиво | kholodnoye pivo | cold beer |
| новое платье | novoye plat'ye | new dress |
The adjectives "большое" (big), "холодное" (cold), and "новое" (new) agree with the neuter nouns they modify.
Number Agreement[edit | edit source]
In addition to gender agreement, adjectives in Russian must also agree with the number of the noun they modify. Let's explore how number agreement works for adjectives.
Singular Nouns[edit | edit source]
When modifying singular nouns with adjectives, the adjectives must take on the singular form. Here are some examples:
| Russian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| большой стол | bol'shoy stol | big table |
| красивая роза | krasivaya roza | beautiful rose |
| новый компьютер | novyy komp'yuter | new computer |
As you can see, the adjectives "большой" (big), "красивая" (beautiful), and "новый" (new) agree with the singular nouns they modify.
Plural Nouns[edit | edit source]
When modifying plural nouns with adjectives, the adjectives must take on the plural form. Here are some examples:
| Russian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| большие столы | bol'shiye stoly | big tables |
| красивые розы | krasivyye rozy | beautiful roses |
| новые компьютеры | novyye komp'yutery | new computers |
The adjectives "большие" (big), "красивые" (beautiful), and "новые" (new) agree with the plural nouns they modify.
Case Agreement[edit | edit source]
In Russian, nouns and adjectives change their form depending on the case they are in. Adjectives must agree with the case of the noun they modify. Let's explore how case agreement works for adjectives.
Nominative Case[edit | edit source]
The nominative case is used for the subject of a sentence. When modifying nouns in the nominative case, adjectives must take on the same form as the noun. Here are some examples:
| Russian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| красивый город | krasivyy gorod | beautiful city |
| старая книга | staraya kniga | old book |
| любимый фильм | lyubimyy film | favorite movie |
As you can see, the adjectives "красивый" (beautiful), "старая" (old), and "любимый" (favorite) agree with the nominative case of the nouns they modify.
Accusative Case[edit | edit source]
The accusative case is used for the direct object of a sentence. When modifying nouns in the accusative case, adjectives must take on a different form. Here are some examples:
| Russian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| красивый город | krasivyy gorod | beautiful city |
| старую книгу | staruyu knigu | old book |
| любимый фильм | lyubimyy film | favorite movie |
The adjectives "красивый" (beautiful), "старую" (old), and "любимый" (favorite) agree with the accusative case of the nouns they modify.
Genitive Case[edit | edit source]
The genitive case is used to indicate possession or to express the absence of something. When modifying nouns in the genitive case, adjectives must take on a different form. Here are some examples:
| Russian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| красивого города | krasivogo goroda | beautiful city |
| старой книги | staroy knigi | old book |
| любимого фильма | lyubimogo fil'ma | favorite movie |
The adjectives "красивого" (beautiful), "старой" (old), and "любимого" (favorite) agree with the genitive case of the nouns they modify.
Summary[edit | edit source]
In this lesson, we have learned about adjective agreement in Russian. Adjectives must agree with the nouns they modify in gender, number, and case. We explored how adjectives change their form based on the gender, number, and case of the nouns they modify. Remember to pay attention to the gender, number, and case of the nouns in order to use adjectives correctly in Russian sentences.
Now that you have a good understanding of adjective agreement, you are ready to move on to the next lesson: "Comparatives and Superlatives". Keep up the great work and continue improving your Russian skills!
Videos[edit | edit source]
Adjective Agreement in Russian (Nominative) - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Adjectives after два/две, три, четыре in Russian - YouTube[edit | edit source]
An Introduction to Short Adjectives in Russian - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Prepositional case in Russian: endings of adjectives | Russian ...[edit | edit source]
Cases of Adjectives | Russian Language - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Russian Grammar: What is Noun-Adjective Agreement?
- Russian/Grammar/Adjectives - Wikibooks, open books for an open ...
- Russian Adjectives
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Comparatives and Superlatives
- The verb to have
- Past Tense
- Give your Opinion
- Negation
- Russian cases
- Punctuation
- A vs И
- Nouns
- Imperative give an order
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