-ят/-я
The Masculine Articles -ят and -я
Most masculine nouns take -ът/-а, but some take the soft -ят/-я: учител → учителят (the teacher), музей → музеят (the museum).
How It Works
1. Nouns ending in -й. Drop the й, because я already contains that sound: музей → музеят / музея (museum), чай → чаят / чая (tea), край → краят / края (end), герой → героят / героя (hero), трамвай → трамваят / трамвая (tram). Write музеят, never музейят.
2. Nouns in -тел. учител → учителят (teacher), приятел → приятелят (friend), родител → родителят (parent), зрител → зрителят (viewer), двигател → двигателят (engine).
3. Nouns formed with -ар or -яр. These are mostly people and jobs: лекар → лекарят (doctor), секретар → секретарят (secretary), огняр → огнярят (stoker). A noun that only happens to end in -ар may take the ordinary article: пазар → пазарът (market).
4. A few everyday words. ден → денят (day), път → пътят (road, way), кон → конят (horse), цар → царят (king), огън → огънят (fire).
5. Full or short. Денят е дълъг. (The day is long.) През деня работя. (During the day I work.) See full versus short article.
Tip: the plural is not affected: учителите, музеите. When you are unsure, a dictionary shows the articled form.
Examples (6)
- Учителят обяснява урока.
The teacher is explaining the lesson.
Учител takes -ят; урок takes the short -а as the object.
- Денят започна слънчев.
The day started out sunny.
- Музеят е затворен в понеделник.
The museum is closed on Mondays.
Музей drops й before -ят.
- Вчера говорих с лекаря.
Yesterday I spoke to the doctor.
After a preposition, use the short form -я.
- Чаят е още горещ.
The tea is still hot.
- Пътят до селото е тесен.
The road to the village is narrow.
Common Mistakes
Using -ът on a noun that takes the soft article.
Учителът е много строг.Учителят е много строг.Nouns in -тел take the soft article -ят/-я.
Keeping й before the article.
Музейят е нов.Музеят е нов.The letter я already contains the й sound, so й is dropped: музеят.
Using the full form -ят for an object.
Вчера видях учителят.Вчера видях учителя.Учителя is the object here, not the subject, so it takes the short form -я.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The soft masculine articles follow -ът/-а.
Related Patterns
- Full Versus Short Masculine Article
Explains when to use -ят and when to use -я.
Level 2 - The Article as an Ending
The basic idea of the article as an ending.
Level 1 - Masculine Nouns Ending in a Consonant
Most of these nouns are masculine nouns ending in a consonant.
Level 1 - Articles on Adjectives
Masculine adjectives also end in -ят/-я: новият, новия.
Level 2 - Nouns for People Who Do Things
Many nouns for people, with -тел and -ар, take this article.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice -ят/-я in Bubblegum
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