Matching Adjectives to Nouns
Russian adjectives agree with the nouns they describe, changing their ending to match the noun's gender.
| Gender | Typical Ending | Example |
|---|
| Masculine | -ый / -ий | белый |
| Feminine | -ая / -яя | белая |
| Neuter | -ое / -ее | белое |
Dictionary entries for adjectives are always in the masculine form.
Masculine Adjectives (-ый / -ий)
Most masculine adjectives end in -ый.
Feminine Adjectives (-ая)
For feminine nouns, the standard adjective ending is -ая.
Add очень (very) directly before an adjective to intensify it. It never changes form.
Neuter Adjectives (-ое)
For neuter nouns, the standard adjective ending is -ое.
Spelling Rules
Russian spelling rules prohibit writing the letter ы after certain consonants (г, к, х, ж, ч, ш, щ). After these letters, the masculine ending becomes -ий instead of -ый.
Compare the endings for "hot" (горячий) and "cold" (холодный):
Here is how to use all three genders together. Notice how each adjective ending matches the gender of the food it describes:
