Language/Russian/Grammar/Gender
Hi Russian learners! π
In this lesson, we will discuss one of the most critical elements of Russian grammar: gender. Although many learners find the concept of gender challenging to grasp, it is essential to understand it as it affects the majority of Russian nouns, adjectives, pronouns, and verbs. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to understand the grammatical gender system and know how to correctly use gender in your speech or writing.
Finish this lesson and explore these related pages: 0 to A1 Course & Present Tense.
Introduction to Russian Grammar - Gender[edit | edit source]
Gender is a noun class system present in many languages. Russian, like most Slavic languages, has a system of three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. In Russian, every noun has a gender that is reflected in the forms of adjectives, verbs, and pronouns associated with it. Therefore, the correct identification of gender is crucial to ensure coherent speech and writing.
Although there is no particular rule for predicting the gender of a noun, certain word endings offer some clues. For instance, feminine nouns usually end in -Π°, -Ρ, -ΠΈΡ, neuter nouns end in -ΠΎ, -Π΅, -Ρ, and masculine nouns often end in a consonant or a "soft sign" Ρ. However, there are many exceptions, so memorization remains the best way to learn the gender of nouns.
Masculine Gender[edit | edit source]
In Russian, the masculine gender refers to objects, animals, and people that are male or have a masculine form. The masculine gender has two subcategories: animate and inanimate. Animate masculine nouns are used for objects, animals, or people that have a soul, while the inanimate masculine is used to refer to objects without life.
Russian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
ΠΌΡΠΆΡΠΈΠ½Π° | moozh-chee-na | man |
Π΄ΡΠ΄Ρ | dyah-dyah | uncle |
Π²ΡΠ°Ρ | vrahch | doctor |
ΡΡΠΎΠ» | stol | table |
ΠΊΠΎΠ²ΡΡ | kah-vyor | carpet |
Dialogue:
- Person 1: ΠΠΎΠΉ ΠΎΡΠ΅Ρ Π»ΡΠ±ΠΈΡ ΠΎΡ ΠΎΡΠΈΡΡΡ. (My father loves to hunt.)
- Person 2: Π£ ΠΌΠ΅Π½Ρ Π΅ΡΡΡ ΠΌΠ°Π»Π΅Π½ΡΠΊΠΈΠΉ Π±ΡΠ°Ρ. (I have a little brother.)
Feminine Gender[edit | edit source]
The feminine gender refers to objects, animals, or people that are female or have a feminine form. The feminine gender, like the masculine gender, has two subcategories: animate and inanimate.
Russian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
ΠΊΠ½ΠΈΠ³Π° | knee-ga | book |
ΠΌΠ°ΡΠΈΠ½Π° | mah-shee-na | car |
Π΄Π΅Π²ΡΡΠΊΠ° | dyeh-vush-ka | girl |
ΠΆΠ΅Π½ΡΠΈΠ½Π° | zhensh-chee-na | woman |
ΡΠΈΠ»ΠΎΡΠΎΡΠΈΡ | fee-la-sa-fee-ya | philosophy |
Dialogue:
- Person 1: ΠΠ°Π²ΡΡΠ° ΠΌΠΎΡ ΠΆΠ΅Π½Π° ΠΈΠ΄Π΅Ρ Π½Π° ΡΠ°Π±ΠΎΡΡ. (Tomorrow, my wife goes to work.)
- Person 2: Π― Π²ΠΈΠ΄Π΅Π»Π° ΠΊΡΠ°ΡΠΈΠ²ΡΡ ΠΊΠΎΡΠΊΡ Π½Π° ΡΠ»ΠΈΡΠ΅. (I saw a beautiful cat on the street.)
Neuter Gender[edit | edit source]
The neuter gender refers to objects with no natural gender or whose gender is unknown. Some typical neuter nouns include inanimate objects, materials, and concepts.
Russian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
ΠΎΠΊΠ½ΠΎ | akh-no | window |
ΡΠ±Π»ΠΎΠΊΠΎ | yah-bla-ka | apple |
ΠΌΠΎΠ»ΠΎΠΊΠΎ | ma-la-ka | milk |
Π·Π΅ΡΠΊΠ°Π»ΠΎ | zuhr-ka-la | mirror |
Π²ΡΠ΅ΠΌΡ | vyeh-mya | time |
Dialogue:
- Person 1: ΠΡΠ΅ΡΠ° Ρ ΠΊΡΠΏΠΈΠ» ΡΠ±Π»ΠΎΠΊΠΎ Π² ΠΌΠ°Π³Π°Π·ΠΈΠ½Π΅. (Yesterday, I bought an apple at the store.)
- Person 2: Π£ ΠΌΠ΅Π½Ρ Π΄ΠΎΠΌΠ° Π΅ΡΡΡ Π·Π΅ΡΠΊΠ°Π»ΠΎ. (I have a mirror at home.)
Exceptions[edit | edit source]
Like most grammar rules, there are exceptions to the gender system in Russian. Some words that end in -Ρ, for example, can be masculine or feminine, depending on their meaning. For instance, the noun ΠΌΡΡ (myach) meaning "ball" is masculine, while Π»ΠΎΠΆΠΊΠ° (lozhka) meaning "spoon" is feminine. Other examples include:
Russian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Π·ΡΠ± | zoop | tooth (masculine) |
Π½ΠΎΡΡ | nohch | night (feminine) |
ΡΠ³ΠΎΠ»Ρ | oogol' | coal (masculine) |
ΠΌΡΡΡ | mysh | mouse (feminine) |
Gender Agreement[edit | edit source]
In Russian, all adjectives, pronouns, and verbs associated with a noun must agree with its gender. For example:
Russian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Π±ΠΎΠ»ΡΡΠΎΠΉ ΡΡΠΎΠ» | bal'shoy stol | big table (masculine) |
ΠΊΡΠ°ΡΠΈΠ²Π°Ρ Π΄Π΅Π²ΡΡΠΊΠ° | krah-see-vah-ya dyeh-vush-ka | beautiful girl (feminine) |
ΠΌΠ°Π»Π΅Π½ΡΠΊΠΎΠ΅ ΠΎΠΊΠ½ΠΎ | mah-leen'-koe akh-no | small window (neuter) |
It's worth noting that gender inflection also occurs in the past tense of verbs in Russian. For example:
Russian | Pronunciation | English |
---|---|---|
Π― Π³ΠΎΠ²ΠΎΡΠΈΠ» Ρ ΠΌΡΠΆΡΠΈΠ½ΠΎΠΉ. | Ya gavah-reel s moozh-chee-noi | I talked with the man. (masculine) |
Π― Π³ΠΎΠ²ΠΎΡΠΈΠ»Π° Ρ ΠΆΠ΅Π½ΡΠΈΠ½ΠΎΠΉ. | Ya gavah-ree-la s zhensh-chee-noi | I talked with the woman. (feminine) |
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
Congratulations, you've completed the lesson on Russian grammar gender! Gender can be a challenging concept to master, but practice and memorization can make a difference. To improve your Russian find native speakers and ask them any questions! Don't forget to check out the Grammar resources available on Polyglot Club and continue practicing. π
β‘ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
β‘ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. π
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Gender in Russian - Russian Grammar
- Nouns gender in Russian :: Study Russian Online
- Russian grammar: Nouns - Gender in Nominative - Learn Russian ...
Videos[edit | edit source]
Beginning Russian I: Grammatical Gender of Nouns - YouTube[edit | edit source]
GENDER of Nouns | Russian Language - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Give your Opinion
- Nouns
- Pronouns
- Punctuation
- Russian cases
- The verb to be
- To and ΠΆΠ΅ particles in Russian
- Adjectives
- The verb to have
- ΠΠΎΡΡΠ΄ΠΎΠΊ ΡΠ»ΠΎΠ² Π² ΡΡΡΡΠΊΠΎΠΌ ΠΏΡΠ΅Π΄Π»ΠΎΠΆΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠΈ