Animal Adjectives Like páví
Animal adjectives end in -í: páví (peacock's), vtáčí (bird's), líščí (fox's), kozí (goat's), rybí (fish). Their forms are páví, pávia, pávie, and after a long syllable they stay long: vtáčie hniezdo, líščia nora.
How It Works
What they are. These adjectives come from names of animals and mean 'belonging to that kind of animal' or 'made from it': páv → páví, vták → vtáčí, líška → líščí, koza → kozí, ryba → rybí, slepica → slepačí (hen's, chicken), kohút → kohútí, medveď → medvedí.
The páví pattern.
- nominative: páví (m), pávia (f), pávie (n); plural pávie
- masculine and neuter: genitive pávieho, dative páviemu, locative pávom, instrumental pávím
- feminine: genitive, dative and locative pávej, accusative páviu, instrumental pávou
- plural: genitive and locative pávích, dative pávím, instrumental pávími
The forms are close to cudzí.
An exception to the rhythmic law. The rhythmic law usually shortens a long ending after a long syllable. Animal adjectives do not follow it. Even after the long á of vtáč- or ú of kohút-, the ending stays long: vtáčie hniezdo, z vtáčieho pohľadu, kohútieho spevu. Remember that ia and ie are diphthongs, which count as long.
A kind, not an owner. Psí život (a dog's life) is about dogs in general. For one particular animal with a name, use a possessive adjective: Dunčov pelech (Dunčo's bed). Some animal words use other suffixes instead, such as kravské mlieko (cow's milk), a -ský adjective.
Examples (6)
- Na strome je vtáčie hniezdo.
There's a bird's nest in the tree.
Word by Word: On tree is bird's nest.
Vtáčie keeps its long ie after the long syllable vtáč-.
- Pozri, aké krásne pávie perá!
Look at these beautiful peacock feathers!
Word by Word: Look, what beautiful peacock feathers!
- Z vtáčej perspektívy vyzerá mesto úplne inak.
From a bird's-eye view, the town looks completely different.
Word by Word: From bird's perspective looks town completely differently.
- Na raňajky jem kozí syr.
I eat goat's cheese for breakfast.
Word by Word: For breakfast I-eat goat's cheese.
- V lese sme našli líščiu noru.
We found a fox's den in the forest.
Word by Word: In forest we found fox's den.
- Babka uvarila slepačiu polievku.
Grandma made chicken soup.
Word by Word: Grandma cooked hen's soup.
Common Mistakes
Shortening the ending by the rhythmic law.
Pozri sa na to z vtáčeho pohľadu.Pozri sa na to z vtáčieho pohľadu.Animal adjectives are an exception to the rhythmic law, so the long -ieho stays: vtáčieho, líščieho, kohútieho.
Using the masculine form with a neuter noun.
Na strome je vtáčí hniezdo.Na strome je vtáčie hniezdo.Hniezdo is neuter, so the adjective is vtáčie. Vtáčí goes with masculine nouns: vtáčí spev.
Using -ia for a neuter plural.
Pozri, aké krásne pávia perá!Pozri, aké krásne pávie perá!Perá is a neuter plural, and the plural form is pávie. Pávia is only the feminine singular.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before Animal Adjectives Like páví, learn Soft Adjectives Like cudzí. páví adjectives are related to the soft type cudzí.
Related Patterns
- The Rhythmic Law
The páví type is an exception to the rhythmic law.
Level 1 - -ov / -inPossessive Adjectives in -ov and -in
Use -ov / -in for one particular animal or person, and the páví type for the kind of animal.
Level 3 - -ský / -ový / -nýAdjectives That Link to a Noun
Some animal words use -ský instead: kravské mlieko.
Level 5 - ia / ie / iu / ôDiphthongs Ia, Ie, Iu and Ô
The endings -ia and -ie contain diphthongs, which count as long.
Level 1
Practice Animal Adjectives Like páví in Bubblegum
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