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Questions & Answers about Ptice su brze.
Why does the singular noun ptica (bird) change to ptice here?
Ptica is a feminine noun because it ends in -a in the singular form. To make a feminine noun plural when it is the subject of the sentence (the nominative case), the -a ending changes to -e. This gives us ptice (birds).
Why does the adjective brze (fast) end in -e? I thought plural adjectives usually end in -i.
Adjectives must match the noun they describe in gender and number. The -i ending is for masculine plural adjectives (for example, psi su brzi meaning "dogs are fast"). Because ptice is a feminine plural noun, the adjective must take the feminine plural ending, which is -e. So, the base word brz becomes brze.
Since brze and ptice both end in -e, do feminine plural nouns and adjectives always match this way?
In the nominative plural (when they are the subject of the sentence), yes! Both regular feminine nouns and the adjectives that describe them take the -e ending. This makes feminine plural agreement one of the easier patterns to spot and remember.
Does the verb su (are) change depending on whether the birds are masculine or feminine?