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Thread: How to know the adjective ending is -ный or -ний

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    Завсегдатай kalinka_vinnie's Avatar
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    How to know the adjective ending is -ный or -ний

    One thing I have always been wondering, is what rule governs the ending of masculine adjectives which has the damn н before the ending.

    Синий
    Мобильный
    Летний
    Длинный

    How do I know when to use what? The other letters (-ий: К Ч Ш Щ -ый: Т П В Л etc) are at least consistent so they are easy to memorize

    Anyoneый?
    Hei, rett norsken min og du er død.
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    Take a look at the vowel in the ending - that's what determines the ending, not the н. If the ending is "soft" (ends on -ий), the genitive singular will also be soft (-его). If the ending is "hard" (ends with -ый), the genitive ending will also be hard (-ого). Так понятно?
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    Завсегдатай kalinka_vinnie's Avatar
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    Hmm. No.

    What has genetive to do with it? I know how the adjective declines, but I want to know when to use ы and и after н - in accusative masculine singular!

    Thanks!
    Hei, rett norsken min og du er død.
    I am a notourriouse misspeller. Be easy on me.
    Пожалуйста! Исправляйте мои глупые ошибки (но оставьте умные)!
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    I second the motion. Please clarify. I am tired of trying memorize hard and soft endings.
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    Misread your post. Haha... ...Hmm... Well, if it's animate, it'll follow the same rules as the genitive that I already posted... And if it's inanimate, it'll stay the same as nominative. So, the only time you'll use ы and и in accusative masculine singular is if the thing in accusative is inanimate. Now, if the problem is which words have the soft ending and which have the hard ending - sorry, they've just got to be memorized. Hope that helps more...

    Edit: just saw DDT's post - well... You just get used to it eventually.
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    I think I failed in explaining my question.

    Why is длинный spelled with -ый BUT Синий with -ий ????
    Why is Синый wrong????
    Hei, rett norsken min og du er død.
    I am a notourriouse misspeller. Be easy on me.
    Пожалуйста! Исправляйте мои глупые ошибки (но оставьте умные)!
    Yo hablo español mejor que tú.
    Trusnse kal'rt eturule sikay!!! ))

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    Quote Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie
    I think I failed in explaining my question.

    Why is длинный spelled with -ый BUT Синий with -ий ????
    Why is Синый wrong????
    Because it is.

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    Старший оракул
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    There really is no specific rule...it just happens. Its just one of those things that you need to memorize...there is no rhyme or reason.

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    Quote Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie
    Why is длинный spelled with -ый BUT Синий with -ий ????
    Why is Синый wrong????
    I think it's to keep the hardness or the softness of the last letter of the stem. Длинный comes from длина where n is hard and синий comes from синь where n is soft.
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    Выдержки из главы VIII грамматики Розенталя.
    № 39. Окончания имен прилагательных.

    1. В прилагательных загородный, междугородный, подгородный, пригородный - окончание -ый (-ая, -ое), в прилагательном иногородний - окончание -ий (-яя, -ее).
    Примечание. Прилагательные на -йный - оканчиваются в краткой форме форме на -ен, например: знойный - зноен, стройный - строен (но: достойный - достоин)
    2. Двоякое окончание имеет прилагательное бескрайний (-яя, -ее) - бескрайный (-ая, -ое).
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    Завсегдатай chaika's Avatar
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    I think that there are only about 3o adjectives that end in -ний, and there are some common categories for them, such as seasons (весенний, летний, осенний, зимний). I'm not sure about the categories, but that's basically all there is to it. If you always use hard endings, you will be correct 95% of the time. But you'll sound like a dork in those remaining five.

    I have a backwards Russian dictionary and can find them lickety-split, but I didn't ask the question, you did. Since you asked the question, you get to do the work - now go and find the list of those soft adjectives, and when you find them, please post for everybody else. Include English translations and we'll all be very grateful!

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    Here's some to get you started...

    Here's some to get you started, courtesy of Bucknell (and other websites)...

    передний - front
    задний - back, rear
    средний - middle
    верхний - upper
    нижний - lower
    последний - last
    утренний - morning
    вечерний - evening
    дальний - far away
    ближний - Close
    поздний - late
    ранний - early
    "Музыка, всюду музыка.
    Линия перегружена.
    Пространство между нами сжимается.
    Все, что можно уже нарушено."
    -- "Пространство между нами" by Ядерный сок

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    And here's some more!!!

    ... and here's some more, from "A Comprehensive Russian Grammar" (1992) by Terence Wade. They are arranged in sets where appropriate. Stress has been marked in bold for adjective of more than two syllables - for adjectives of two syllable, the stem is stressed, not the ending:

    весенний - spring
    (летний - summer [already been posted])
    осенний - autumn
    зимний - winter

    вчерашний - yesterday's
    сегодняшний - today's
    завтрашний - tomorrow's
    субботний - saturday's

    всегдашний - customary
    давний - long-standing
    давнишний - of long standing
    прежний - former

    древний - ancient
    недавний - recent
    прошлогодний - last year's
    теперешний / нынешний - present-day
    тогдашний - of that time

    внешний - external
    внутренний - internal

    тамошний - of that place
    здешний - of this place

    домашний - domestic
    крайний - extreme
    соседний - neighbouring, next

    дочерний - daughter's/daughterly
    замужняя - married (of a woman)
    сыновний - filial/brotherly

    искренний - sincere

    лишний - superfluous

    порожний - empty

    and the only soft adjective not to end with "-ний":
    карий hazel (of eyes)
    "Музыка, всюду музыка.
    Линия перегружена.
    Пространство между нами сжимается.
    Все, что можно уже нарушено."
    -- "Пространство между нами" by Ядерный сок

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