Questions & Answers about Эта серая шерсть — волчья.
Why does the sentence use the adjective волчья instead of the genitive noun волка (of a wolf)?
While you could say шерсть волка (fur of a wolf), Russian frequently uses possessive adjectives derived from animals to indicate origin, species, or belonging. These adjectives end in -ий, -ья, -ье, or -ьи. Since шерсть is feminine, we use the feminine possessive form волчья.
What is the dictionary form of волчья, and why is there a soft sign (ь)?
The dictionary (masculine) form is волчий (wolf's). When changing to feminine, neuter, or plural forms, the и is dropped and a soft sign (ь) appears before the ending. For a feminine noun like шерсть, the ending is -я, resulting in волчья. The soft sign keeps the я sounding like a distinct "ya" syllable.
Шерсть ends in a soft sign (ь). How can we confirm its gender just by looking at this sentence?
Nouns ending in a soft sign can be masculine or feminine, which usually requires memorization. However, this sentence provides three clear grammatical clues: the demonstrative эта, the adjective серая, and the possessive adjective волчья are all in the feminine nominative form. This confirms that шерсть is feminine.
Why is there a dash before волчья?
The dash replaces the present tense of the verb "to be" (is). While a dash is grammatically required when equating two nouns, it is also frequently used before an adjective acting as the predicate (the main point of the sentence) to add a slight spoken pause. Here, it creates emphasis, highlighting that the fur is specifically a wolf's.
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