Feminine Nouns Ending in a Consonant
Добра вечер! uses добра, not добар, because вечер is feminine. So are ноќ, пролет, сол, љубов and радост: ноќта, радоста.
How It Works
Most consonant-final nouns are masculine (see машки род на согласка), but some are feminine.
The main groups:
- Abstract nouns with the suffix -ост: радост (joy), младост (youth), можност (possibility). See апстрактни именки: -ост; -ство.
- Times of day and year: ноќ (night), вечер (evening), пролет (spring), есен (autumn)
- Other common words: сол (salt), крв (blood), љубов (love), вест (news), помош (help)
Agreement: adjectives and pronouns are feminine: добра вечер, долга ноќ, голема радост, оваа пролет.
The article -та: ноќта, вечерта, пролетта, есента, солта, крвта, љубовта. After -ст, one т is written: радост → радоста, вест → веста.
The plural adds -и: ноќи, вечери, вести, радости, можности.
Careful: only the abstract suffix -ост makes a noun feminine. Short everyday words that simply end in -ост, such as мост (bridge) and гост (guest), are masculine: мостот, гостот.
Examples (6)
- Добра вечер!
Good evening!
Word by Word: Good evening!
Вечер is feminine, so the greeting uses добра, while добар ден uses the masculine form.
- Ноќта беше долга и студена.
The night was long and cold.
Word by Word: Night-the was long and cold.
- Имам добра вест за тебе.
I have good news for you.
Word by Word: I-have good news for you.
- Пролетта дојде рано оваа година.
Spring came early this year.
Word by Word: Spring-the came early this year.
- Додај малку сол во супата.
Add a little salt to the soup.
Word by Word: Add a-little salt in soup-the.
- Тоа е голема радост за целото семејство.
That is a great joy for the whole family.
Word by Word: That is great joy for whole-the family.
Common Mistakes
Using a masculine adjective with вечер.
Добар вечер!Добра вечер!Вечер is feminine, so its adjective ends in -а. Compare добар ден, where ден is masculine.
Giving ноќ the masculine article -от.
Ноќот беше долг.Ноќта беше долга.Ноќ is feminine: it takes -та, and the adjective after беше is feminine too.
Treating every word ending in -ост as feminine.
Моста е нова.Мостот е нов.Мост (bridge) is an ordinary masculine noun. Only the abstract suffix -ост, as in радост, makes a noun feminine.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Consonant-final feminines contrast the two main groups.
Related Patterns
- Noun Gender
Gender decides the adjective and article, even when the ending looks masculine.
Level 1 - Feminine Plural in -иPlural of Feminine Nouns
These nouns form their plural like other feminine nouns: ноќи, вести.
Level 1 - Abstract Nouns in -ост / -ствоAbstract Nouns
The suffix -ост makes many abstract feminine nouns, such as младост.
Level 4 - Months and Seasons
Пролет and есен are feminine: пролетта, есента.
Level 2 - здраво / добар ден / довидувањеGreetings and Goodbyes
The greeting Добра вечер shows the feminine gender of вечер.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice Feminine Nouns Ending in a Consonant in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Macedonian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
