Noun Genders: Masculine, Feminine, Neuter
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Croatian nouns are Masculine, Feminine, or Neuter, usually identified by their last letter.
- Masculine nouns usually end in a consonant: 'stol' (table).
- Feminine nouns usually end in -a: 'žena' (woman).
- Neuter nouns usually end in -o or -e: 'selo' (village).
Noun Gender Identification
| Gender | Typical Ending | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Masculine
|
Consonant
|
Stol
|
Table
|
|
Feminine
|
-a
|
Kuća
|
House
|
|
Neuter
|
-o / -e
|
More
|
Sea
|
Meanings
Grammatical gender determines how adjectives and verbs agree with nouns in Croatian.
Basic Classification
The inherent gender assigned to inanimate and animate objects.
“Pas je velik.”
“Mačka spava.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Masculine
|
Noun + Adj (consonant)
|
Stol je velik
|
|
Feminine
|
Noun + Adj (-a)
|
Kuća je velika
|
|
Neuter
|
Noun + Adj (-o)
|
More je veliko
|
|
Question
|
Je li + Noun + Adj?
|
Je li stol velik?
|
|
Negative
|
Noun + nije + Adj
|
Stol nije velik
|
Spectre de formalité
Stol je velik. (Describing furniture)
Stol je velik. (Describing furniture)
Stol je baš velik. (Describing furniture)
Stol je ogroman. (Describing furniture)
Gender Map
Masculine
- Stol Table
Feminine
- Kuća House
Neuter
- More Sea
Exemples par niveau
Stol je velik.
The table is big.
Ovo je kuća.
This is a house.
More je plavo.
The sea is blue.
Pas je dobar.
The dog is good.
Moja sestra je visoka.
My sister is tall.
To je lijepo pismo.
That is a beautiful letter.
Kupio sam novi auto.
I bought a new car.
Ona je pametna žena.
She is a smart woman.
Vođa je bio hrabar.
The leader was brave.
Sudac je donio odluku.
The judge made a decision.
Pjesnikinja je napisala knjigu.
The poetess wrote a book.
Sveučilište je veliko.
The university is big.
Djevojka je bila iznenađena.
The girl was surprised.
Njegovo ponašanje je neprihvatljivo.
His behavior is unacceptable.
Ta je odluka bila ključna.
That decision was crucial.
On je vješt kuhar.
He is a skilled cook.
Kolegij je zahtjevan.
The course is demanding.
Njezina intuicija je nepogrešiva.
Her intuition is infallible.
Ovaj fenomen zahtijeva analizu.
This phenomenon requires analysis.
Sustav je postao neučinkovit.
The system has become inefficient.
Arhaični oblici još uvijek postoje.
Archaic forms still exist.
Njegova erudicija je impresivna.
His erudition is impressive.
Ova dilema ostaje neriješena.
This dilemma remains unresolved.
Kreativnost je neophodna vrlina.
Creativity is a necessary virtue.
Facile à confondre
Learners think all -a words are feminine.
Learners confuse -o endings.
Mixing up -a and -o endings.
Erreurs courantes
Kuća je velik.
Kuća je velika.
Stol je velika.
Stol je velik.
More je velika.
More je veliko.
Tata je ženski.
Tata je muški.
Auto je velika.
Auto je velik.
Kava je dobar.
Kava je dobra.
Dijete je dobar.
Dijete je dobro.
Vođa je bila.
Vođa je bio.
Sudac je bila.
Sudac je bio.
Pjesnikinja je bio.
Pjesnikinja je bila.
Sustav je bila.
Sustav je bio.
Fenomen je bila.
Fenomen je bio.
Intuicija je bio.
Intuicija je bila.
Structures de phrases
___ je ___.
Ovo je ___ ___.
Moj ___ je ___.
Taj ___ nije ___.
Real World Usage
Kava je super!
Jedna kava, molim.
Moje iskustvo je veliko.
Gdje je hotel?
Ovo je moj novi auto.
Pica je vruća.
Look at the end
Watch for -a
Adjective match
Native intuition
Smart Tips
Always learn the noun with its ending to remember its gender.
Identify the noun's gender before choosing the adjective ending.
Check if it's a person; if not, it's likely feminine.
Look at the original word's gender if possible.
Prononciation
Vowel endings
Ensure clear pronunciation of -a, -o, -e.
Statement
Stol je velik ↓
Neutral declarative
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
A-F-E: 'A' is for Feminine, 'O/E' is for Neuter, everything else is Masculine.
Association visuelle
Imagine a house (kuća) with an 'A' on the door, a sea (more) with an 'O' floating on it, and a table (stol) standing tall like a consonant.
Rhyme
Ending in A, she is a lady. Ending in O, neuter you know. Consonant sound, masculine found.
Story
Ana (Feminine) lives in a house (kuća). She looks at the sea (more) which is blue (plavo). She sits at a table (stol) which is big (velik).
Word Web
Défi
Look around your room and label 5 objects by their gender in 2 minutes.
Notes culturelles
Gender is strictly grammatical. Even words for 'man' (muškarac) and 'woman' (žena) follow these rules.
Croatian gender stems from Proto-Slavic, which inherited the three-gender system from Proto-Indo-European.
Amorces de conversation
Što je ovo?
Kakva je kava?
Tko je taj vođa?
Kako opisuješ taj fenomen?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
Stol je velik___.
Kuća is:
Find and fix the mistake:
More je velika.
Stol / velik
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Pismo je ___.
Žena je ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
Tata je lijepa.
Score: /8
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesStol je velik___.
Kuća is:
Find and fix the mistake:
More je velika.
Stol / velik
Stol, Kuća, More
Pismo je ___.
Žena je ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
Tata je lijepa.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
No, most are, but some masculine nouns like 'tata' (dad) end in -a.
If it ends in -o or -e, it is almost always neuter.
Yes, in the past tense, verbs change based on gender.
Loanwords usually follow the ending rule, but some are indeclinable.
It is a shortened form of 'automobil', which is masculine.
No, Croatian is much more predictable based on endings.
Yes, 90% of the time the ending rule works.
No, just learn the ending rules and you'll be fine.
Scaffolded Practice
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2
3
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Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
der/die/das
Croatian endings are consistent.
le/la
Croatian has a neuter gender.
el/la
Croatian has a neuter gender.
None
Croatian requires gender agreement.
masculine/feminine
Croatian has a neuter gender.
None
Croatian requires gender agreement.
