Adjective Agreement

Level 1Sounds Like prymetník: rod í lík

Match the adjective to its noun: новы дом, новая кніга, новае акно, новыя кнігі.

How It Works

Belarusian adjectives agree with their noun. Look at the noun's gender and number, then pick the matching ending.

1. Hard stems (most adjectives):

  • Masculine: новы дом (a new house)
  • Feminine: новая кніга (a new book)
  • Neuter: новае акно (a new window)
  • Plural, all genders: новыя дамы, новыя кнігі (new houses, new books)

2. The stressed neuter ending is -ое. Because of akanye, an unstressed о is written а. So the neuter is -ае when the ending is unstressed (новае, цёплае) and -ое when it is stressed (маладое віно, young wine; дарагое паліто, an expensive coat). The masculine is always -ы/-і, even under stress: малады, never маладой.

3. Stems in г, к, х take -і in the masculine and -ія in the plural, but keep -ая and -ае/-ое: дарагі, дарагая, дарагое, дарагія; высокі, высокая, высокае, высокія.

4. Soft stems use the я-row: сіні, сіняя, сіняе, сінія (blue). See soft-stem adjectives.

5. Two positions. Before the noun the adjective describes it: цікавая кніга. After the noun it can say something about it, with no word for "is": Кніга цікавая. (The book is interesting.) See leaving out "is".

These are the dictionary (nominative) forms. Adjectives also change for case, which you will meet in adjective case endings.

Examples (6)

  1. У мяне новы тэлефон.

    I have a new phone.

    Word by Word: At me new phone.

    Тэлефон is masculine, so the adjective is новы.

  2. Гэта вельмі цікавая кніга.

    This is a very interesting book.

    Word by Word: This very interesting book.

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

  3. Сёння цёплае надвор'е.

    The weather is warm today.

    Word by Word: Today warm weather.

    Надвор'е is neuter. The ending is unstressed, so it is written -ае.

  4. Гэта дарагое паліто.

    This is an expensive coat.

    Word by Word: This expensive coat.

    Паліто is neuter, and the stress falls on the ending, so it is -ое. The stem ends in г.

  5. Тут высокія дамы.

    There are tall buildings here.

    Word by Word: Here tall houses.

    A plural noun takes -ыя, or -ія after к.

  6. У яе сінія вочы.

    She has blue eyes.

    Word by Word: At her blue eyes.

    Сіні has a soft stem, so the plural is сінія.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the Russian masculine ending -ой.

    Ён маладой хлопец.
    Ён малады хлопец.

    The Belarusian masculine ending is always -ы or -і, even when it is stressed. Only the neuter has -ое.

  • Writing -ое when the neuter ending is unstressed.

    У нас новое акно.
    У нас новае акно.

    In новае the ending is not stressed, so akanye turns о into а. Write -ое only under stress, as in маладое.

  • Choosing the ending without checking the noun's gender.

    Гэта новы кніга.
    Гэта новая кніга.

    Кніга is feminine, so the adjective must be feminine too.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Adjective AgreementLevel 1

Learn This First

Adjective agreement needs gender and number.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.