Adjective Agreement

Level 1

Adjectives agree with the noun in gender: nový dom (masculine), nová kniha (feminine), nové auto (neuter).

How It Works

An adjective must match its noun. In the dictionary form, hard adjectives have three endings, one for each gender:

  • Masculine -ý: nový dom (a new house)
  • Feminine -á: nová kniha (a new book)
  • Neuter -é: nové auto (a new car)

Because of the rhythmic law, two long syllables cannot follow each other. If the adjective's stem already has a long syllable, the ending is short: krásny deň, krásna žena, krásne mesto. The same happens with biely (white): biely, biela, biele.

Soft adjectives end in -í, -ia, -ie: cudzí (foreign), cudzia, cudzie. Domáci (homemade) is soft too, but its long á makes the ending short by the rhythmic law: domáci, domáca, domáce, as in domáca polievka.

Agreement works the same way whether the adjective comes before the noun or after byť: nové auto and Auto je nové.

Adjectives also change with number and case:

  • Mám novú knihu. (feminine accusative)
  • Mám nového kamaráta. (masculine animate accusative)
  • Nové domy, but noví priatelia. (plural, with a special form for men)

Examples (6)

  1. To je nový dom.

    That is a new house.

    Dom is masculine, so the adjective ends in -ý.

  2. Nová kniha je na stole.

    The new book is on the table.

    Kniha is feminine, so the adjective ends in -á.

  3. Máme nové auto.

    We have a new car.

    Auto is neuter, so the adjective ends in -é.

  4. Dnes je krásny deň.

    It is a beautiful day today.

    Krás- is long, so the ending is short -y.

  5. Bratislava je krásna.

    Bratislava is beautiful.

    After je, the adjective still agrees with the feminine subject.

  6. Domáca polievka je chutná.

    Homemade soup is tasty.

    Domáci is a soft adjective, but its stem already has the long á, so the rhythmic law shortens -ia to -a: domáca. Chutná is a hard adjective.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the masculine form with a feminine noun.

    To je nový kniha.
    To je nová kniha.

    Kniha is feminine, so the adjective must end in -á.

  • Using a long ending after a long syllable.

    Dnes je krásný deň.
    Dnes je krásny deň.

    Krás- is already long, so the rhythmic law shortens the ending to -y.

  • Forgetting agreement after byť.

    Auto je nový.
    Auto je nové.

    The adjective agrees with auto, which is neuter, even when it comes after je.

How It Connects

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Adjective AgreementLevel 1

Learn This First

Before Adjective Agreement, learn Noun Gender. Adjectives copy the gender of their noun.

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Patterns that build on this one.