Declension of Russian Adjectives

Russian adjectives change their endings based on gender, number, and case, making them tricky for learners. Below is a structured breakdown to help you master them.

1. Types of Adjective Endings

Russian adjectives fall into two main groups:

• Hard-ending adjectives (ending in -ый, -ой)
• Example: новый (new), большой (big)
• Soft-ending adjectives (ending in -ий)
• Example: синий (blue), летний (summer)

(Mixed and irregular adjectives exist but follow similar patterns.)

2. Adjective Declension Tables

A. Hard-Ending Adjectives (e.g., новый – "new")

Case	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Plural
Nom.	новый	новая	новое	новые
Gen.	нового	новой	нового	новых
Dat.	новому	новой	новому	новым
Acc.	новый (inan.) / нового (anim.)	новую	новое	новые (inan.) / новых (anim.)
Instr.	новым	новой	новым	новыми
Prep.	о новом	о новой	о новом	о новых

B. Soft-Ending Adjectives (e.g., синий – "blue")

Case	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Plural
Nom.	синий	синяя	синее	синие
Gen.	синего	синей	синего	синих
Dat.	синему	синей	синему	синим
Acc.	синий (inan.) / синего (anim.)	синюю	синее	синие (inan.) / синих (anim.)
Instr.	синим	синей	синим	синими
Prep.	о синем	о синей	о синем	о синих

Learning Strategy:

• Don't try to memorize all tables at once.
• Focus on one case at a time across genders/numbers.
• Notice the similarities between hard and soft endings (often just changing о -> е, ы -> и, а -> я, у -> ю).
• Use online resources or textbooks with clear declension tables like PROMT.One Conjugator.
• Consistent exposure through reading and listening is invaluable.

Declension of adjectives is a significant memory load, but recognizing the patterns and practicing consistently will build your confidence and accuracy.