Masculine zero and stem repair
Removing the long ending may create a difficult final consonant cluster; Russian can insert a fleeting vowel.
- The inserted vowel and any consonant alternation are lexical-morphological, not freely chosen for pronunciation comfort. Learn the masculine short form as a diagnostic vocabulary item.
- Stem checkpoint: Do not invent a masculine form by deleting -ый mechanically: *интересн is not the standard form; интере́сен must be retrieved.
| Long adjective | Masc. short | Stem event |
|---|---|---|
| интере́сный | интере́сен | -ен- separates cluster |
| по́лный | по́лон | fleeting о |
| ве́рный | ве́рен | fleeting е |
| у́мный | умён | fleeting ё + stress |
| ре́дкий | ре́док | cluster repair + consonant pattern |
| ва́жный | ва́жен | жн → жен |
Read the model
3.13 · Masculine zero and stem repair · table 1
интере́сный · интере́сен · -ен- separates clusterпо́лный · по́лон · fleeting оMini-check
Give masculine short: по́лный; ва́жный. Why is умён written with ё?
Apply this next
- Say the Russian examples aloud, cover the model, and retrieve the pattern once before continuing.