Articles on Adjectives
Add the article to the adjective, not the noun: новият учител, новата кола, новото палто, новите книги.
How It Works
1. The four forms.
- Masculine: новият учител (the new teacher), малкият град (the small town)
- Feminine: новата кола (the new car), малката стая (the small room)
- Neuter: новото палто (the new coat), малкото дете (the little child)
- Plural: новите книги (the new books), малките деца (the little children)
2. Building the masculine form. Adjectives with a movable ъ lose it: добър → добрият (the good one), малък → малкият. An easy trick is to start from the plural and add -ят: добри → добрият, малки → малкият, големи → големият.
3. Full or short. Use -ият when the phrase is the subject or a definite complement after съм, and -ия for objects and after prepositions: Новият учител е тук. (The new teacher is here.) Говорих с новия учител. (I talked to the new teacher.) See full versus short article.
4. Other adjective types. Adjectives in -ски work the same way: българският език (the Bulgarian language). Soft adjectives such as син have their own spelling: синият, синята, синьото, сините. See soft adjectives.
5. Without a noun. An articled adjective can stand alone: Искам червената. (I want the red one.) See adjectives used as nouns.
6. Comparatives and superlatives. The article goes on the adjective part: по-новата кола (the newer car), най-добрият ден (the best day).
Examples (6)
- Новият учител е от Пловдив.
The new teacher is from Plovdiv.
Subject, so the full form -ият.
- Паркирах новата кола пред къщата.
I parked the new car in front of the house.
- Малкото дете спи.
The little child is sleeping.
- Новите книги са на масата.
The new books are on the table.
- Говорих с новия съсед.
I talked to the new neighbour.
After a preposition, the short form -ия.
- Искам червената, не синята.
I want the red one, not the blue one.
Articled adjectives can stand without a noun.
Common Mistakes
Using the noun ending -ът on a masculine adjective.
Новът учител е млад.Новият учител е млад.Masculine adjectives take -ият or -ия, not -ът.
Keeping the movable ъ.
Добърият лекар ми помогна.Добрият лекар ми помогна.Добър loses its ъ before the article, just as in the plural добри.
Using the full form for an object.
Видях новият филм.Видях новия филм.Here the phrase is the object, not the subject, so use the short form -ия.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Articles on adjectives apply the first-word rule.
Related Patterns
- Adjective Agreement
The unarticled masculine, feminine, neuter and plural forms.
Level 1 - Full Versus Short Masculine Article
The rule for choosing -ият or -ия.
Level 2 - син/синя/синьоSoft Adjectives Like Син
Soft adjectives have special articled spellings.
Level 3 - Adjectives Used as Nouns
Articled adjectives can replace a noun: червената.
Level 4 - по- + Adjective or AdverbComparatives with По-
Comparatives take the article too: по-новата кола.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
- най- + Adjective or AdverbSuperlatives with Най-Level 2
- Ordinal NumbersLevel 2
- Adjectives in -скиLevel 3
- сам / самиятAlone and Oneself with Сам and СамиятLevel 4
- Present Active Participle in -щThe Present Active ParticipleLevel 4
- -л Participles as AdjectivesЛ-Participles Used as AdjectivesLevel 5
- The Article in General StatementsLevel 5
- бивш/настоящ/бъдещOld Participles Used as AdjectivesLevel 6
Words in This Pattern
Practice Articles on Adjectives in Bubblegum
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