Gender
Like nouns, adjectives are composed of a stem plus an ending, which may, in the
case of short-form adjectives, include the zero ending. Adjectives may be mascu-
line, neuter, or feminine in the singular.They have only one ending for all genders
throughout the plural.
Masculine adjectives are characterized by the two-letter ending -ый. This end-
ing may be changed for one of three reasons:
1. After ж, ч, ш, щ, and к, г, х, write и instead of ы (the seven-letter spelling
rule): хорóший, рÿсский, жгÿчий, свéжий.
2. If the ending of an adjective is stressed, the masculine form is written -óй:
глухóй, молодóй, большóй, дорогóй.
3. If an adjective has a stem ending in a soft consonant (primarily the soft conso-
nant н, use the soft ending -ий: послéдний сегóдняшний, здéшний, лñшний.
The most commonly used soft adjectives are:
Russian English Russian English
ÿтренний morning лéтний summer
зñмний winter осéнний autumn
весéнний spring пóздний late
рáнний early вчерáшний yesterday’s
сегóдняшний today’s прошлогóдний last year’s
зáвтрашний tomorrow’s тогдáшний of that time
тепéрешний present дрéвний of old, ancient
дáвний of long ago двухлéтний two (etc.)-year-old
прéжний former дáльний far off, distant
здéшний local нñжний lower
вéрхний upper срéдний middle
перéдний front внÿтренний inner, interior
зáдний back сосé
дний neighboring
внéшний outer, external послéдний last (in a series)
крáйний extreme домáшний domestic
сñний (dark) blue ñскренний sincere
лñшний extra, spare кáрий brown, hazel (as of
посторóнний alien, strange eyes)
2
вечéрний evening
The Adjective 61
2
This is the only soft adjective in Russian whose stem does not end in the consonant -н-.