{"id":2470,"date":"2011-12-01T08:00:40","date_gmt":"2011-12-01T08:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=2470"},"modified":"2014-07-17T17:33:53","modified_gmt":"2014-07-17T17:33:53","slug":"how-to-figuring-out-gender-of-russian-noun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/how-to-figuring-out-gender-of-russian-noun\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Figure Out Gender of Russian Noun"},"content":{"rendered":"

Can you believe it? It\u2019s December already. Let\u2019s start the new month with some Russian grammar, specifically with a short (sort of) post about \u00ab<\/strong>\u0440\u043e\u0434\u00bb<\/strong> [gender] of Russian nouns.<\/p>\n

As you know, Russian language has 3 genders – \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u0443\u0436\u0441\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [masculine], \u00ab<\/strong>\u0436\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [feminine] and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [neutral]. There are two reasons why it is extremely important to be able to determine the gender of nouns.<\/p>\n

The first reason is that in Russian adjectives and verbs in past tense must agree in gender with nouns. Beginner and intermediate learners of Russian tend to make a lot of mistakes when it comes to matching the genders and build sentences such as \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u043e\u0439 <\/strong>\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0436\u0435\u043d\u0430<\/span> <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0448\u043b\u0430<\/span> <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u043c\u0430\u0433\u0430\u0437\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u00bb<\/strong> instead of \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u043e\u044f<\/span> <\/strong>\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u0430\u044f <\/strong>\u0436\u0435\u043d\u0430<\/span> <\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0448\u043b\u0430<\/span> <\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u043c\u0430\u0433\u0430\u0437\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u00bb<\/strong> [my beautiful wife went to a store]. The second reason is even more important, but I\u2019ll talk about it a bit later.<\/p>\n

The good news is, you won\u2019t have to memorize gender for most of Russian nouns. You just have to go through a quick 5 step process.<\/p>\n

Step 1<\/strong> – Find nominative singular form of the noun (its dictionary form).<\/p>\n

Step 2<\/strong> – Is it a \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0430\u0438<\/span>\u043c\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0435 <\/strong>\u0441\u0443\u0449\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [borrowed noun] that comes from a foreign language? If yes, go straight to Step 5.<\/p>\n

Step 3<\/strong> – Take a look at the ending. Does it end in \u00ab-<\/strong>\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> or \u00ab-<\/strong>\u043b\u044c\u00bb<\/strong>? If it ends in \u00ab-<\/strong>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u00bb<\/strong>, it\u2019s a masculine noun. If it ends in \u00ab-<\/strong>\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044c\u00bb<\/strong>, it\u2019s a feminine noun. If it\u2019s neither, then you\u2019re out of luck, go to Step 5.<\/p>\n

Step 4<\/strong> – If a noun ends in \u00ab-<\/strong>\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> or \u00ab-<\/strong>\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> then it\u2019s a feminine noun. An \u00ab-<\/strong>\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> or \u00ab-<\/strong>\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> ending indicates neutral nouns. If a noun ends in a consonant, it\u2019s most likely a masculine noun.<\/p>\n

Step 5<\/strong> – When all else fails, memorize the gender.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s practice:<\/p>\n

Determine genders of the nouns in the opening line of Alexandr Blok\u2019s poem<\/a>: \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u043e\u0447\u044c, <\/strong>\u0443<\/span><\/strong>\u043b\u0438\u0446\u0430, <\/strong>\u0444\u043e\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u044c, <\/strong>\u0430\u043f\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u043a\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [Night, street, lamp, drugstore] (Answer is at the end of the post)<\/p>\n

How about the nouns in this phrase \u00ab<\/strong>\u042f <\/strong>\u043f\u044c\u044e<\/span> <\/strong>\u0445\u043e\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0435 <\/strong>\u0432\u0438\u043d\u043e<\/span>, <\/strong>\u0433\u043b\u044f\u0434\u044f<\/span> <\/strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong>\u043c\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u0435 <\/strong>\u0441\u043a\u0432\u043e\u0437\u044c <\/strong>\u043e\u043a\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [I\u2019m drinking chilled wine looking at the sea through the window]. What if I replace \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u0438\u043d\u043e<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> with \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0444\u0435\u00bb<\/strong>? What other change will I have to make in this sentence?<\/p>\n

You\u2019re right, I\u2019ll need to change \u00ab<\/strong>\u0445\u043e\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> to \u00ab<\/strong>\u0445\u043e\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u044b\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> since \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0444\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> is masculine (even though it ends in \u00ab-<\/strong>\u0435\u00bb<\/strong>). The word \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0444\u0435\u00bb<\/strong>, being of foreign origin, is an exemption from the rule and has to be memorized.<\/p>\n

Maddeningly, \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0430\u043f\u0443\u0447\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [cappuccino] is neutral and so is \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0430\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [cocoa]. Same goes for some stronger beverages, including \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u043a\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0431\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0434\u0438\u00bb<\/strong>. Good enough reason to stick to \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0432\u0430\u0441\u00bb<\/strong> and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043a\u0430\u00bb<\/strong>, don\u2019t you think?<\/p>\n

Another difficulty with gender is when you\u2019re applying it to the abbreviations. For example, is \u00ab<\/strong>\u041c\u0418\u0414\u00bb<\/strong> masculine, feminine or neutral? How about \u00ab<\/strong>\u041e\u041e\u041d\u00bb, \u00ab<\/strong>\u042e\u041d\u0415\u0421\u041a\u041e\u00bb<\/strong>, and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0415\u0411\u0420\u0420\u00bb<\/strong>? To figure that out, you need to know what the acronyms stand for, in Russian. \u00ab<\/strong>\u041c\u0418\u0414\u00bb<\/strong> is \u00ab<\/strong>\u041c\u0438\u043d\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e <\/strong>\u0438\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0445 <\/strong>\u0434\u0435\u043b\u00bb<\/strong> [Ministry of foreign affairs]. The noun \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u0438\u043d\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> is neutral (using the above 5-step process). So the acronym is also neutral.<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u041e\u041e\u041d\u00bb<\/strong> is feminine because \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u0440\u0433\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u0446\u0438\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [organization] in \u00ab<\/strong>\u041e\u0440\u0433\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u0446\u0438\u044f <\/strong>\u043e\u0431\u044a\u0435\u0434\u0438\u043d\u0451<\/span>\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0445 <\/strong>\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0446\u0438\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [United Nations Organization] is feminine. Same goes for \u00ab<\/strong>\u042e\u041d\u0415\u0421\u041a\u041e\u00bb<\/strong> [UNESCO].<\/p>\n

\u00ab<\/strong>\u0415\u0411\u0420\u0420\u00bb<\/strong> is \u00ab<\/strong>\u0415\u0432\u0440\u043e\u043f\u0435<\/span>\u0439\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u0431\u0430\u043d\u043a <\/strong>\u0440\u0435\u043a\u043e\u043d\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u043a\u0446\u0438\u0438 <\/strong>\u0438 <\/strong>\u0440\u0430\u0437\u0432\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0438\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [European Bank for Reconstruction and Development]. \u00ab<\/strong>\u0411\u0430\u043d\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [bank] is masculine, so the entire acronym is masculine.<\/p>\n

Speaking of money, if \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u043b\u0430\u0440 <\/strong>\u0432\u044b<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0441 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e <\/strong>\u043e\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0448\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044e <\/strong>\u043a <\/strong>\u0435<\/span><\/strong>\u0432\u0440\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [dollar rose relative to euro], would you choose \u00ab<\/strong>\u0443\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u00bb<\/strong> or \u00ab<\/strong>\u0443\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> in the phrase \u00ab<\/strong>\u0435<\/span><\/strong>\u0432\u0440\u043e <\/strong>\u0443\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u043b\/<\/strong>\u0443\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u043e <\/strong>\u043f\u043e <\/strong>\u043e\u0442\u043d\u043e\u0448\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u044e <\/strong>\u043a <\/strong>\u0434\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u043b\u0430\u0440\u0443\u00bb<\/strong> [euro dropped relative to dollar]? The proper, grammatically correct, way of saying it is \u00ab<\/strong>\u0435<\/span><\/strong>\u0432\u0440\u043e <\/strong>\u0443\u043f\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u00bb<\/strong> since \u00ab<\/strong>\u0435<\/span><\/strong>\u0432\u0440\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> is masculine its \u00ab-<\/strong>\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> ending notwithstanding.<\/p>\n

What about place names, especially foreign ones that don\u2019t end on \u00ab-<\/strong>\u0430\u00bb, \u00ab-<\/strong>\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> or a consonant? For example, why does a popular children\u2019s story reads \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0430 <\/strong>\u0434\u0430\u043b\u0451<\/span>\u043a\u043e\u0439 <\/strong>\u041b\u0438\u043c\u043f\u043e\u043f\u043e<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [past the far-away Limpopo] instead of \u00ab<\/strong>\u0437\u0430 <\/strong>\u0434\u0430\u043b\u0451<\/span>\u043a\u0438\u043c <\/strong>\u041b\u0438\u043c\u043f\u043e\u043f\u043e<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong>? Limpopo is a \u00ab<\/strong>\u0440\u0435\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [river] which is feminine. So the gender of the word \u00ab<\/strong>\u041b\u0438\u043c\u043f\u043e\u043f\u043e<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> is also feminine. How about \u00ab<\/strong>\u0411\u0443<\/span>\u0444\u0444\u0430\u043b\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [Buffalo]? Since \u00ab<\/strong>\u0411\u0443<\/span>\u0444\u0444\u0430\u043b\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> is a masculine \u00ab<\/strong>\u0433\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0434\u00bb<\/strong> [city], it is also masculine. However, \u00ab<\/strong>\u0413\u0430\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [Haiti] can be both masculine and feminine, since it\u2019s both an \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e<\/span><\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e\u0432\u00bb<\/strong> [island] and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [country]. But again, there are exceptions from this rule as well.<\/p>\n

Going back to the two reasons for learning the genders of Russian nouns\u2026 At least in my earlier example of \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0440\u0430\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u0430\u044f <\/strong>\u0436\u0435\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [beautiful wife] the meaning is preserved, which can\u2019t be said about this great joke (and inspiration for this post via this Quora discussion<\/a>):<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u041a\u0430\u043a \u043e\u0442\u043b\u0438\u0447\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c \u0437\u0430<\/span>\u0439\u0446\u0430 \u043e\u0442 \u0437\u0430\u0439\u0447\u0438<\/span>\u0445\u0438? \u0412\u0437\u044f\u0442\u044c \u0437\u0430<\/span> \u0443\u0448\u0438 \u0438 \u043e\u0442\u043f\u0443\u0441\u0442\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u044c. \u0415<\/span>\u0441\u043b\u0438 \u043f\u043e\u0431\u0435\u0436\u0430<\/span>\u043b, \u0442\u043e \u0437\u0430<\/span>\u044f\u0446. \u0415<\/span>\u0441\u043b\u0438 \u043f\u043e\u0431\u0435\u0436\u0430<\/span>\u043b\u0430, \u0442\u043e \u0437\u0430\u0439\u0447\u0438<\/span>\u0445\u0430.\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n

[How to tell a male rabbit from a female rabbit? Grab it by the ears and let go. If it ran, it was a he-rabbit. If it ran, it was a she-rabbit.]<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s my second, more important, reason for learning the gender of Russian nouns.<\/p>\n

By the way, the answer to the practice question is \u00ab<\/strong>\u043d\u043e\u0447\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [night], \u00ab<\/strong>\u0443<\/span><\/strong>\u043b\u0438\u0446\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [street] and \u00ab<\/strong>\u0430\u043f\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u043a\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [drugstore] are feminine; \u00ab<\/strong>\u0444\u043e\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [lamp] is masculine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Can you believe it? It\u2019s December already. Let\u2019s start the new month with some Russian grammar, specifically with a short (sort of) post about \u00ab\u0440\u043e\u0434\u00bb [gender] of Russian nouns. As you know, Russian language has 3 genders – \u00ab\u043c\u0443\u0436\u0441\u043a\u043e\u0439\u00bb [masculine], \u00ab\u0436\u0435\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439\u00bb [feminine] and \u00ab\u0441\u0440\u0435\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0439\u00bb [neutral]. There are two reasons why it is extremely important to…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":2471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[8,7828],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2470","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-language","category-russian-for-beginners"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t