Lesson 07: Describing things: adjectives Flashcards
Bolshoi (big) Theater
Больш’ой те’атр
Russian language
‘русский ‘язык
good day
‘добрый день
Tver’ Street [Moscow’s main street]
Твер’ская ‘улица
good morning
‘доброе ‘утро
in the Bolshoi Theater
в Бол’шом те’атре
on Red Square
на ‘Красной ‘площади
new
‘новый
This is the paradigm -ый adjective.
Russian (adj.)
‘русский
This is the paradigm -ий adjective.
second (adj.)
втро’вой
This is the paradigm -ой adjective.
new street
‘новая ‘улица
The fns ending for -ый adjectives is -ая
Russian newspaper
‘русская га’зета
The fns ending for -ий adjectives is -ая
the second door
вто’рая дверь
The fns ending for -ой adjectives is -ая
new name
‘новое ‘имя
The nns ending for -ый adjectives is -oe. Note that имя is neuter.
Russian name
‘русское ‘имя
The nns ending for -ий adjectives is -oe. Note that имя is neuter.
second exercise
вто’рое упраж’нение
The nns ending for -ой adjectives is -oe.
last (adj.): 3 ns forms.
пос’ледний, пос’ледняя, пос’ледее.
“Soft adjectives” ending in -ний have ns endings -ий, -яя, -ее. These adjectives typically are used to describe times or seasons.
morning (adj): 3 ns forms
‘утренний, ‘утренняя, ´утреннее
“Soft adjectives” ending in -ний have ns endings -ий, -яя, -ее. These adjectives typically are used to describe times or seasons.
evening (adj.): 3 ns forms
ве’черний, ве’черняя, ве’чернее
“Soft adjectives” ending in -ний have ns endings -ий, -яя, -ее. These adjectives typically are used to describe times or seasons.
spring (adj.): 3 ns forms
ве’сенний, ве’сенняя, ве’сеннее
“Soft adjectives” ending in -ний have ns endings -ий, -яя, -ее. These adjectives typically are used to describe times or seasons.
winter (adj.): 3 ns forms
‘зимний, ‘зимняя, ‘зимнее
“Soft adjectives” ending in -ний have ns endings -ий, -яя, -ее. These adjectives typically are used to describe times or seasons.
summer (adj.): 3 ns forms
‘летний, ‘летняя, ‘летнее
“Soft adjectives” ending in -ний have ns endings -ий, -яя, -ее. These adjectives typically are used to describe times or seasons.
autumn (adj): 3 ns forms
о’сенний, о’сенняя, о’сеннее
“Soft adjectives” ending in -ний have ns endings -ий, -яя, -ее. These adjectives typically are used to describe times or seasons.
evening newpaper
ве’черняя га’зета
spring day
ве’сенний день
winter overcoat
‘зимнее паль’то
summer night
‘летняя ночь
autumn weather
о’сенняя по’года
third: 3 ns endings
‘третий, ‘третья, ‘третье
This adjective is the only common exception to the types of adjectives already listed (-ый, -ий, -ой, “soft” -ний). There are other adjectives conjugated like this, mostly having to do with living things, esp. animals.
third day
‘третий день
third night
‘третья ночь
third morning
‘третье ‘утро
dog’s (adj.)
со’бачий
a “третий-type” adjective.
a dog’s life
co’бачья жизнь
cat’s (adj.)
ко’шачий
a “третий-type” adjective.
cat fur
ко’шачья шерсть
god’s (adj.)
‘божий
from бог, “god.”
a “третий-type” adjective.
God’s mercy
‘божья ‘мирлость
this house
‘этот дом
this book
‘эта ‘книга
this letter (correspondence)
‘это пись’мо
This house is old.
Этот дом старый.
This book is mine.
Эта книга моя.
That house
Тот дом
That book
Та книга
That letter (correspondence)
То пись’мо
This book is mine, and that one is yours. (formal or plural).
Эта книга моя, а та книга ваша.
This book is mine.
This is my book.
Эта книга моя.
Это моя книга.
In the first sentence, “this” functions as an adjective, modifying “book.” The adjective agrees with the noun. In the second sentence, “this” is a pronoun and is the subject. Book is a predicate nominative. In this case, we use “это” as an indeclinable neuter form.
prepositional singular endings for adjectives
for новый, русский, второй types:
-ом, -ем, -ом
for soft adjectives and those like хороший (to be discussed in the next lesson):
-ой, -ей, -ой.
Note that in both cases, the masculine forms are the same as the neuter forms.
in a new town/café
в новом городе/кафе
in a Russian town/cafe
в русском городе/кафе
in another town/café
в дру’гом городе/кафе
in a wintry town/cafe
в зимнем городе/кафе
endings for “третий-type” adj. in the prepositional singular
-ьем, -ьей, -ьем
in the third house/letter
в третьем доме/письме
in a new book
в новой книге
in a Russian book
в русской книге
in another book
в другой книге
in a winter hat
в зимней шапке
in the third book
в третьей книге
What are the accusative singular endings for adjectives?
1. Paradigm adjectives: m inanimate: same as nominative singular m animate: -ого /ovo/ f: -ую n: same as nominative singular
2. Soft adjectives: m inanimate: same as nominative singular m animate: -его /jevo/ f: -юю n: same as nominative singular
3. третий type m inanimate: same as nominative singular m animate: -ьего /jevo/ f: -ью n: same as nominative singular
Russian is beautiful.
Русский язык кра’сивый.
Nominative singular paradigm and regular adjectives.
I know Russian.
Я знаю русский язык.
Paradigm adjective, accusative masculine singular. “Language” is inanimate, so the adjective and noun both have the same form as the nominative singular.
This is our new metro.
Это наша новое метро.
Paradigm adjective, neuter nominative singular.
I love our new metro.
Я люблю наше новое метро.
Paradigm adjective, neuter accusative singular. The neuter accusative singular form is always identical to the neuter nominative singular form, in both nouns and adjectives.
Do you know the new Russian neighbor? (formal/plural)
Вы знаете нового русского со’седа?
Two paradigm adjectives in masculine accusative singular. Since “neighbor” is animate, the adjectives take the ending -ого and the noun takes the ending -a.
Does she love her second husband?
Она любит второго мужа?
Paradigm adjective in masculine accusative singular. “Husband” is animate, so the adjective takes the ending -ого, and the noun takes
-a.
We know the last tsar.
Мы знаем последнего царя.
Soft adjective in masculine accusative singular. “Tsar” is animate, so the adjective takes the ending -его. Since the nominative singular for, of tsar ends in ь, the accusative singular ending is -я.
Do you know her third husband? (formal/plural)
Вы знаете её третьего мужа?
Третий type adjective in masculine accusative singular. “Husband” is animate, so the adjective takes the ending -ьего and the noun takes -a.
nominative: cold winter weather
хо’лодная зимняя погода
The first adjective is regular, the second soft. The noun is feminine, so the adj. endings (nominative) are -ая and -яя.
Do you like cold winter weather? (formal/plural)
Вы любите холодную зимнюю погоду?
The first adjective is regular and the second soft. They modify a noun in the feminine accusative singular. The regular adjective takes -ую, the soft adjective takes -юю and the noun takes -у.
Do you know my/our/that town? (formal/plural)
Вы знаете мой/наш/тот город?
Since “town” is masculine, inanimate and in the accusative singular, the noun and its adjectives retain the nominative singular forms.
He loves this/our wine.
Он любит это/наше вино.
Since “wine” is neuter and accusative singular, the noun and its adjectives retain their nominative singular forms.
Do you know my/our friend? (formal/plural)
Вы знаете мое’го/‘нашего друга?
“Friend” is masculine singular and accusative, but it is also animate. The adjectives take the ending -его and the noun takes -a.
She loves this/that Englishman.
Она любит ‘этого/то’го англичанина.
“Englishman” is masculine and accusative singular, but it is also animate, so these adjectives take -ого and the noun takes -a.
Do you know my/our daughter? (formal/plural)
Вы знаете мо’ю/‘нашу дочь?
“Daughter” is feminine and accusative singular. Note the endings of these adjectives. Also note that the noun retains its nominative singular form because it is a feminine noun ending in -ь.
in my/your house/letter. (familiar singular)
в моём/твоём доме/письме
Prepositional singular masculine and neuter. Note the endings of the adjectives. As usual, the masculine and neuter endings are the same in the prepositional case.
in our/your house/letter (formal/plural)
в нашем/вашем доме/письме
Prepositional singular masculine and neuter. Note the endings of the adjectives. As usual, the masculine and neuter endings are the same in the prepositional case.
in this/that house/letter
в ‘этом/том доме/письме
Prepositional singular masculine and neuter. Note the endings of the adjectives. As usual, the masculine and neuter endings are the same in the prepositional case.
in my/your book (singular familiar)
в мо’ей/тво’ей книге
Prepositional feminine singular. Note the endings of the adjectives.
in our/your book (formal/plural)
в нашей/вашей книге
Prepositional feminine singular. Note the endings of the adjectives.
in this/that book
в ‘этой/той книге
Prepositional feminine singular. Note the endings of the adjectives.
This book is in Russian.
Эта книга на русском языке.
Note that Russians say something is “on” a language rather than “in” it.
on Red Square
на Красной площади.
Note that “red” is not considered a soft adjective. Also, “square” is feminine ending in -ь, so it takes -и in the prepositional case.
at the Bolshoi Theater
в Большом театре
in apartment/flat number three (i.e. in the third flat)
в третьей квар’тире
in the evening paper
в вечерней газете
soft adjective
in the street cafe (i.e. summer cafe)
в летнем кафе
What is the most common adverb ending? (used to transform adjectives into adverbs)
-o
beautiful
beuatifully
кра’сивый
кра’сиво
interesting
interestingly
инте’ресный
инте’ресно
cold
coldly
хо’лодный
‘холодно
Note the stress change.
good
well
хо’роший
хоро’шо
Note the stress change. The adjective follows special rules and will be discussed in the next chapter.
She speaks well.
Она говорит хорошо.
Adverbs always retain the same endings.
American (adj.)
амери’чанский
large
большой
British
бри’танский
bathroom
‘ванная
evening (adj.)
ве’черний
soft
second (adj.)
вто’рой
main (adj.)
‘главный
town, city
‘город
good, kind
‘добрый
at home
‘дома
is/are
есть
This word will be discussed in the next chapter.
western
‘западный
winter (adj.)
‘зимний
famous
знаме’нитый
interesting
ннте’ресный
what kind of
ка’кой
flat/apartment [n]
квар’тира
book
книга
beautiful, attractive
кра’сивый
red
‘красный
the Kremlin
Кремль [м]
kitchen
in the kitchen
‘кухня
в OR на кухне
summer (adj.)
‘летний
soft
small
ма’ленький
bridge
on the bridge
мост
на мосту (irreg)
overcoat
паль’то
indeclinable: it is borrowed from French
first
‘первый
plan, street map
план
weather
го’рода
to show (something)
по’казивать
last (adj)
пос’ледний
soft
embassy
по’сольство
river
give nom. and acc.
ре’ка
‘реку (note stress change)
Russian (adj.)
‘русский
nearby, alongside
‘рядом
today
се’годия /si’vodnija/
bedroom
’спальня
station (on metro or in the countryside)
at the station
‘станция
на станции
also, in addition
‘тагже
theater
те’атр
warm
тёплый
that
тот
third
‘третий
‘третий type
cold
хо’лодный
school
‘школа
floor, story (of a building)
on a floor
э’таж
на эта’же (note stress change)
this
‘этот
What kind of car is this?
Как’ая это машина?
«Какой» translates “what kind.” Note that “this” is not declined here.
What’s the weather like in Moscow?
Какая погода в Москве?
What (kind of) wine is this?
Какое это вино?
Although one cannot tell from this example, «это» is not declined in sentences like this.
