People Nouns in -ач / -тел
People from Verbs
Verb + -ач or -тел = the person who does it: вози → возач (driver), пее → пејач (singer), учи → учител (teacher), чита → читател (reader).
How It Works
-ач. Very common for everyday jobs and activities:
- вози → возач (driver)
- пее → пејач (singer; note the ј)
- игра → играч (player)
- плива → пливач (swimmer)
-тел. Found in many everyday words as well as in bookish ones:
- учи → учител (teacher)
- чита → читател (reader)
- пише → писател (writer)
- слуша → слушател (listener)
- роди → родител (parent)
Women. Add -ка for the feminine: Сестра ми сака да стане пејачка. See feminine job titles.
Plural. These nouns have more than one syllable, so the plural is -и, not -ови: возачи, пејачи, учители, читатели. See plural of masculine nouns.
Other endings for people. You will also meet -ар (рибар, fisherman), -ник (ученик, pupil) and international -ист (турист). See international word endings. For the name of the activity itself, use the verbal noun: пеење, возење; see verbal nouns.
Examples (5)
- Тој е возач на автобус.
He is a bus driver.
Word by Word: He is driver of bus.
- Сестра ми сака да стане пејачка.
My sister wants to become a singer.
Word by Word: Sister to-me wants to becomes singer(f).
Пејачка is the feminine of пејач.
- Учителот ни даде домашна задача.
The teacher gave us homework.
Word by Word: Teacher-the to-us gave home task.
- Весникот има многу читатели.
The newspaper has many readers.
Word by Word: Newspaper-the has many readers.
- Најдобриот играч на тимот е повреден.
The team's best player is injured.
Word by Word: Best-the player of team-the is injured.
Common Mistakes
Using the -ови plural for long nouns.
Учителовите се на состанок.Учителите се на состанок.The -ови plural is for most one-syllable masculine nouns. Longer nouns like учител take -и: учители, учителите.
Leaving out ј in пејач.
Тој е познат пеач.Тој е познат пејач.The noun is written with ј, like the command пеј: пејач, пејачка.
How It Connects
Learn This First
People from verbs combine noun suffixes and verb stems.
Related Patterns
- Masculine Plural in -иPlural of Masculine Nouns
The plural rule these nouns follow: возачи, учители.
Level 1 - Plural in -ови / -евиOne-Syllable Masculine Plurals
Explains why -ови is only for short nouns.
Level 1 - -изам / -ист / -цијаInternational Word Endings
The ending -ист also names people: турист.
Level 5 - Abstract Nouns in -ост / -ствоAbstract Nouns
Other endings that build new nouns: пријател → пријателство.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice People Nouns in -ач / -тел in Bubblegum
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