Russian uses a special "short form" for certain adjectives when they describe temporary states or conditions (like being ready, hungry, or busy). These short forms act as the main predicate of a sentence.
Gender and Number Agreement
Short-form adjectives match the subject in gender and number. They drop the typical long adjective endings and take simple ones:
- Masculine: Ends in a consonant
- Feminine: Adds -а
- Neuter: Adds -о
- Plural: Adds -ы (or -и)
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| готов | готова | готово | готовы |
| занят | занята | занято | заняты |
| I am ready, and you? | Я готов, а ты? |
| The food is already ready. | Еда уже готова. |
| Is the meat ready already? No, it is not ready yet. | Мясо уже готово? Нет, оно ещё не готово. |
Past Tense and Plurals
Because these adjectives describe temporary states, they are frequently used in the past tense. Place the past tense of быть (to be) before the adjective: был, была, было, or были.
(Note: An extra vowel sometimes appears in the masculine form to make it easier to pronounce, like *голоден for hungry or болен for sick. This vowel drops out in the feminine, neuter, and plural forms.)*
| The cat was hungry, but now he is full. | Кот был голоден, но теперь он сыт. |
| My sister rested yesterday and was very happy. | Моя сестра вчера отдыхала и была очень счастлива. |
| Yesterday the doctor was busy, but today he is free. | Вчера врач был занят, а сегодня он свободен. |
| My brother was sick, but now he is healthy. | Мой брат был болен, но теперь он здоров. |
More States and Conditions
Other common short-form adjectives express feelings, certainty, or blame. Notice how they always agree with the gender and number of whoever is experiencing the state.
| I am absolutely sure. | Я совершенно уверена. |
| I want to know who is to blame. | Я хочу знать, кто виноват. |
| They are really busy, and we are finally free. | Они действительно заняты, а мы наконец свободны. |
