Understanding Adjective Agreement in Macedonian
In Macedonian, adjectives are words that describe nouns, like 'big', 'small', 'red', or 'happy'. Just like in English, adjectives in Macedonian need to match the nouns they describe. This is called 'agreement'.
Nouns in Macedonian can be masculine, feminine, or neuter. Adjectives change their form to match the gender of the noun they are describing.
Examples
- голем куче (big dog - masculine)
- голема мачка (big cat - feminine)
- големо дете (big child - neuter)
Nouns can be singular (one) or plural (more than one). Adjectives change to show if they are describing one thing or many things.
Examples
- мал куче (small dog - singular)
- мали кучиња (small dogs - plural)
In Macedonian, adjectives also show if the noun is specific or general. This is called definiteness. Adjectives have a different form if the noun is specific.
Examples
- црвен автомобил (a red car - indefinite)
- црвениот автомобил (the red car - definite)
Important Points
- Masculine adjectives often end in -ен or -ов.
- Feminine adjectives often end in -а.
- Neuter adjectives often end in -о.
- Plural adjectives often end in -и.
To get good at using adjectives in Macedonian, practice by trying to describe different things around you using the rules of agreement. Remember to match the gender, number, and definiteness of the noun.