Masculine Nouns in -а/-я/-о

Masculine Nouns Ending in А, Я or О

Level 2Sounds Like mʺžki rod na -a/-o

Баща looks feminine and дядо looks neuter, but both name men, so they are masculine: добър баща, моят дядо. Only the article follows the ending: бащата, дядото.

How It Works

1. Common words.

  • Ending in -а/-я: баща (father), съдия (judge), колега (colleague, when he is a man), слуга (servant), бояджия (house painter)
  • Ending in -о: дядо (grandfather), чичо (uncle, father's brother), вуйчо (uncle, mother's brother), татко (dad)
  • Many male first names: Никола, Иванчо, Кольо

2. Agreement is masculine. Този съдия е много строг. (This judge is very strict.) Моят дядо е висок. (My grandfather is tall.) The pronoun for them is той.

3. The article follows the ending. баща → бащата, съдия → съдията, чичо → чичото, дядо → дядото (see the article -та and the article -то). An adjective in front takes the masculine article: добрият баща (the good father).

4. Plurals. Nouns in -а/-я add -и: бащи, съдии, колеги. Nouns in -о usually add -вци: дядовци, чичовци. To count them, use the numerals for men: двама бащи и трима дядовци.

Tip: With a short possessive, kinship words usually drop the article: баща ми, дядо ми (see kinship terms).

Examples (6)

  1. Бащата на Иван е лекар.

    Ivan's father is a doctor.

    Баща takes the article -та: бащата.

  2. Съдията влезе в залата.

    The judge entered the courtroom.

  3. Чичото на Мария живее в Пловдив.

    Maria's uncle lives in Plovdiv.

    Чичо ends in -о, so the article is -то.

  4. Дядо ми е много добър човек.

    My grandfather is a very kind man.

    With the short possessive ми, дядо takes no article.

  5. Новият ни колега е от Варна.

    Our new colleague is from Varna.

    The adjective нов is masculine because the colleague is a man.

  6. Двама бащи чакат пред училището.

    Two fathers are waiting in front of the school.

    Баща is counted with двама, like other nouns for men.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a feminine adjective because the noun ends in -а.

    Той е добра баща.
    Той е добър баща.

    Баща names a man, so adjectives are masculine: добър баща.

  • Giving a masculine article ending to these nouns.

    Бащът на Петър е учител.
    Бащата на Петър е учител.

    The article follows the ending of the noun: баща takes -та, never -ът.

How It Connects

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Masculine Nouns in -а/-я/-оLevel 2Masculine Nouns Ending in А, Я or О

Learn This First

Masculine nouns in -а/-я/-о need masculine gender and the -та/-то articles.