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Russian adjective endings

An adjective copies the gender, number and case of its noun. Four endings cover the dictionary form.

Quick answer

но́вый стол · но́вая кни́га · но́вое окно́ · но́вые столы́. Masculine -ый/-ой, feminine -ая, neuter -ое, plural -ые.

The basic pattern

MasculineFeminineNeuterPlural
hard (но́вый)но́выйно́ваяно́воено́вые
stressed (молодо́й)молодо́ймолода́ямолодо́емолоды́е
soft (си́ний)си́нийси́няяси́нееси́ние

Only three groups exist. The stressed group is identical to the hard one, just with the stress on the ending.

The spelling rule that bends it

After г, к, х, ж, ш, щ, ч you can never write ы — и takes its place. That is why it is ру́сский and ру́сские, not “русскый”.

ру́сский язы́кthe Russian language
ру́сская ку́хняRussian cuisine
больши́е города́big cities

In the sentence

Э́то хоро́шая иде́я.That is a good idea.
У меня́ но́вая рабо́та.I have a new job.
Он ру́сский.He is Russian. — an adjective used as a noun

Typical mistakes

но́вый кни́га

но́вая кни́га

The adjective takes the gender of the noun, not the other way round.

ру́сскый

ру́сский

After к only и is allowed.

Check yourself

Э́то ___ кни́га. — This is a new book.

кни́га is feminine, so the adjective ends in -ая.

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