Augmentatives in -иште
Augmentatives
Куче is a dog; кучиште is a big, rough dog. The ending -иште makes things bigger, and often less pleasant.
How It Works
Forming it. Take the stem of the noun and add -иште. A final vowel drops, and к changes to ч:
- куче → кучиште (a huge dog)
- човек → човечиште (a giant of a man, or a brute)
- нос → носиште (a huge nose)
- момче → момчиште (a big strapping lad)
Always neuter. Like other neuter nouns, augmentatives take neuter words around them: едно големо кучиште, тоа човечиште, кучиштето. The plural ends in -ишта, like neuter plurals in -а (see plural of neuter nouns): кучишта, кучиштата. Even the verb can agree in the neuter: Му свикало жеништето. (His shrew of a wife yelled at him.)
Tone. Most augmentatives sound rough or mocking, so use them with care about people. With a warm voice, the same ending can admire: Какво момчиште си станал! (What a big lad you have become!) They are the opposite of diminutives, which make things small and dear.
Not every -иште is big. Many ordinary nouns end in -иште and name a place: училиште (school), игралиште (playground), пасиште (pasture). They are not augmentatives: an училиште is simply a school. Some collective plurals also end in -ишта (compare collective nouns).
Examples (5)
- Во дворот лае едно огромно кучиште.
A huge brute of a dog is barking in the yard.
Word by Word: In yard-the barks one huge dog-AUG.
Кучиште is neuter, so едно and огромно are neuter too.
- Какво човечиште! Едвај влезе низ вратата.
What a giant of a man! He barely got through the door.
Word by Word: What-kind man-AUG! Barely he-entered through door-the.
- Имаше носиште како компир.
He had a huge nose like a potato.
Word by Word: He-had nose-AUG like potato.
- Кучиштата лаеја цела ноќ.
The big dogs barked all night.
Word by Word: Dogs-AUG-the barked whole night.
The plural ends in -ишта.
- Какво момчиште си станал!
What a big strapping lad you have become!
Word by Word: What-kind lad-AUG you-are become!
Said warmly, this augmentative admires.
Common Mistakes
Keeping the gender of the base noun.
Во дворот лае еден голем кучиште.Во дворот лае едно големо кучиште.Every augmentative in -иште is neuter, so the words that go with it take neuter forms: едно, големо, тоа, -то.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Augmentatives follow diminutives.
Related Patterns
- Neuter Nouns in -о / -еNeuter Nouns
Augmentatives follow the neuter pattern.
Level 1 - Neuter Plural in -а / -ињаPlural of Neuter Nouns
Explains the neuter plural -а behind -ишта.
Level 1 - Attitude With the Far Article
Another way to show a negative attitude toward a noun.
Level 5 - Collective Nouns
Some collective plurals look like augmentative plurals.
Level 4 - колку е убаво / каков убав денExclamations
Augmentatives often appear in exclamations with какво.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice Augmentatives in -иште in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Macedonian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
