In Russian, most nouns ending in -а or -я are feminine. However, there is a special group of words with these endings that can refer to both men and women. These are known as common gender nouns (общий род), and they are highly expressive, making them perfect for describing personality quirks!
Gender Agreement
The most important rule for common gender nouns is that they take their gender from the person they describe. Even though the noun's ending does not change, any adjectives, pronouns, or past-tense verbs modifying it must match the actual gender of the person.
When you use a common gender noun to describe a man or boy, use masculine modifiers (like большой, такой, or настоящий):
| My childhood friend is a very smart guy. | Мой друг детства — большой умница. |
| Your brother is such a greedy person, he never shares toys. | Твой брат — такой жадина, он никогда не делится игрушками. |
When describing a woman or girl, switch to feminine modifiers (like большая, такая, or настоящая):
| And his sister is such a quiet girl. | А его сестра — такая тихоня. |
| My mom is a real hard worker and a very smart woman. | Моя мама — настоящая трудяга и большая умница. |
Comparing Traits
Notice how the exact same noun endings are used side-by-side to describe different people, but the describing adjectives change completely based on who is being talked about:
| This girl is such a bore, and her brother is a real fidget. | Эта девочка — такая зануда, а её брат — настоящий непоседа. |
| This student is a terrible sleepyhead, and that guy is just a quiet person. | Эта студентка — жуткая соня, а тот парень — просто тихоня. |