Neuter Nouns in -ие and -ме

Level 2Sounds Like sreden rod na -ie i -me

Two small groups of neuter nouns have their own plurals: упражнение → упражнения (exercise → exercises) and име → имена (name → names).

How It Works

1. Nouns in -ие → -ия. This is a large group, and many of its members are made from verbs (see verbal nouns in -ние):

  • упражнение — упражнения (exercise)
  • събрание — събрания (meeting)
  • мнение — мнения (opinion)
  • събитие — събития (event)
  • съобщение — съобщения (message)
  • здание — здания (building)

2. Nouns in -ме → -мена. This is a small, closed group. The stress moves to the new last syllable:

  • име — имена (name)
  • време — времена (time; also grammatical tense)
  • семе — семена (seed)
  • знаме — знамена (flag)
  • племе — племена (tribe)

3. With the article. The singular adds -то, like other neuter nouns: упражнението, името. The plural ends in -а or -я, so it adds -та: упражненията, имената, времената. See the neuter article -то and the plural articles.

4. Compare the regular neuter plurals. Nouns such as кафе — кафета (coffee) and море — морета (sea) follow the ordinary neuter plural pattern. Only nouns ending in -ие and the few nouns in -ме follow the patterns above.

Tip: време means both "time" and "weather". Its plural времена is used for "times" or "eras" and for verb tenses: трудни времена (hard times).

Examples (6)

  1. За утре трябва да направим пет упражнения.

    For tomorrow we have to do five exercises.

    Упражнение becomes упражнения.

  2. Колко имена има в списъка?

    How many names are on the list?

    Име adds -на: имена.

  3. Живеем в трудни времена.

    We live in difficult times.

    Времена is the plural of време in the sense of times or eras.

  4. На площада има много знамена.

    There are many flags in the square.

    Знаме adds -на: знамена.

  5. Всички мнения са важни.

    All opinions are important.

    Мнение becomes мнения.

  6. Купих семена за градината.

    I bought seeds for the garden.

    Семе adds -на: семена.

Common Mistakes

  • Giving a noun in -ие the -ета plural of nouns like кафе.

    Направих всички упражнениета.
    Направих всички упражнения.

    Nouns ending in -ие replace -е with -я. The ending -ета belongs to nouns such as кафе → кафета.

  • Giving a noun in -ме the ordinary -ета plural.

    Не помня иметата им.
    Не помня имената им.

    Име, време, семе and знаме add -на in the plural. With the article, имена becomes имената.

How It Connects

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Neuter Nouns in -ие and -меLevel 2

Learn This First

Neuter nouns in -ие and -ме follow the regular neuter plurals.