Thread: 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?

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?

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!

I second the motion. Please clarify. I am tired of trying memorize hard and soft endings.

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.

I think I failed in explaining my question.

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

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.

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.

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.

Most of the time it is nothing but roting. Sad, but true.

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).

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!

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

... 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)