Nouns: 005 Declension of regular masculine nouns

Croatian grammar reference /Nouns #005

Declension of regular masculine nouns

How do the endings of regular nouns change, depending on case, in  sentences?

The endings of regular masculine nouns are different from those of regular feminine nouns and regular neuter nouns.

From the universal to the particular .....
 
In a previous post (Grammar reference section Nouns 004a: A universal declension table?) is a quite comprehensive (not quite universal) table that shows the endings of regular nouns case-by-case – for masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns; singular and plural.

I think that is all something of an overload, so in this post we will zoom in on regular masculine nouns only.
 
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A reminder: What are regular masculine nouns?

These are masculine nouns whose nominative singular form ends in a consonant, which all follow a characteristic pattern of declension – that is, have the same noun endings in the same case.

For comparison with other categories of nouns see the post Grammar reference section: Nouns #004: Declension categories of nouns.
 

A table of endings of regular masculine nouns

From the universal table of noun endings published in the post Grammar reference section Nouns 004a: A universal declension table? I have extracted only those columns that apply to regular masculine nouns. The footnotes have been retained as in the original comprehensive table.
 

Declension patterns for regular masculine Croatian nouns. In each case, the noun is formed by adding the suffix shown to the nominative singular form of the noun.

Footnotes:

1. Muški rod, jednina, akuzativ case: The ending for animate nouns (živ) is different from that for inanimate nouns (neživ)
2. Muški rod, jednina, vokativ case: The the suffix is -e if the end of the noun (in nominative singular) is a “hard” consonant, but -u if the noun ending is one of the “soft” consonants c, ć, č, š, đ, dž, lj, nj, j.
3. Muški and srednji rod, jednina, instrumental case: The ending -om is used if the end of the noun (singular, nominative) is a “hard” consonant, but -em if the noun ending is a “soft” consonant c, ć, č, š, đ, dž, lj, nj, or j.
4. -
   
5. ​-
   
6. Muški rod, jednina, all cases: For most (but not all) monosyllabic nouns, and a few polysyllabic nouns, an infix -ov or -ev is placed between the noun stem and the standard ending: -ov in the case of nouns that end with a “hard” consonant, and -ev for nouns with a “soft” consonant c, ć, č, š, đ, dž, lj, nj, j. In the nominative case, for example, this can be equally regarded as having the ending -ovi or -evi, (rather than -i). 

Some specific examples

The table above, particular to standard masculine nouns, shows, for each case, in both singular and plural, the standard endings .....

And following are the declensions of a few regular masculine nouns - specifically chosen to illustrate different patterns from noun to noun.

​The differences depend upon whether (i) the noun refers to an animate or inanimate object, (ii) the end is a “hard” or “soft” consonant, (ii) whether the noun is monosyllabic or polysyllabic, and (iv) if the noun has -a as the penultimate letter (eg, -ac).

Polysyllabic masculine nouns, with 'hard' consonant ending - inanimate vs. animate

The declension of kišobran (umbrella) is as per the basic table for regular inanimate masculine nouns. Also (see later), the nominative noun is polysyllabic, and ends with a “hard” consonant.
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​The declension of jelen (deer) is as per the basic table for regular animate masculine nouns (polysyllabic, with “hard” consonant end). Unlike inanimate kišobran, jelen has the suffix –a in accusative case, singular.
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​Polysyllabic masculine nouns, with 'soft' consonant ending - inanimate vs. animate

The declension of kolač (cake) can be used as a model for polysyllabic inanimate regular masculine nouns that end with a “soft” consonant. Instrumental singular has suffix –em (not –om), and vocative singular has suffix –u (not –e).


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​The declension of prijatelj (friend) can be used as a model for polysyllabic animate regular masculine nouns that end with a “soft” consonant. Because it is an animate noun, acccusative singular has suffix –a (unlike inanimate kolač). As for kolač, instrumental singular has suffix –em (not –om), and vocative singular has suffix –u (not –e).

Infix in monosyllabic inanimate masculine nouns - 'hard' vs. 'soft' consonant endings

Zid (wall) and kraj (end, region) are monosyllabic inanimate masculine nouns. Because they are monosyllabic, in all cases in the plural there is an infix. Zid has a “hard” consonant end, and the infix is –ov. Kraj, with its “soft” consonant end, takes the infix –ev. And compare the vocative singular declension of the two nouns. And the instrumental singular.
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Infix in monosyllabic animate masculine nouns - 'hard' vs. 'soft' consonant endings

​Djed (grandfather) and muž (husband) are monosyllabic animate masculine nouns. In all cases in the plural, djed (“hard” consonant) has infix –ov, while muž (“soft” consonant) has infix –ev. Compare also the endings in vocative and instrumental singular. And compare the accusative singular endings for djed and muž (both animate) with those for zid and kraj (inanimate).

The 'fleeting -a'

Some (some, only some) polysyllabic masculine nouns with a as the second-last letter, such as muškarac (man), lanac (chain), starac (old man), nokat (fingernail or toenail), pas (dog) have a so-called “fleeting a” when declined: in all cases, singular and plural, except genitive plural, the a is omitted.

The noun pas is monosyllabic, but declines as a polysyllabic noun: it does not take the –ov infix. If you ask me why that is, you will be wasting your breath!
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The “fleeting a” is also lost in declension of the singular cases of some monosyllabic nouns (that have infix –ov or   –ev in the plural), and by some polysyllabic nouns that decline as though monsyllabic:

(*) “Fleeting a” does not flee in accusative singular for inanimate noun.

And …..

These variations don’t include the possibility of sibilarization nor palatalization (Croatian grammar #014: Sibilarization and palatalization).

So how do we use these tables?

If you are like me, when you are first learning Croatian, you bring up a visualisation of a table (or actually look at the table in a book or your notes) and, while you are pivoting your eyes hard upward (the thinking mode), say something like …….. ‘OK, this is a single object, masculine noun, in the accusative case. The nominative is jelen, so ………….. (going to the appropriate box in the table) ……… yes, jelena!

But you will soon become accustomed to which form is appropriate in a sentence – just as you quickly learn your way around a town that you are visiting.

They are not just isolated words in their boxes: every form of the noun has a particular place in sentences.

Check that the appropriate declined form of the noun jelen is used in the sentences below.  Do the endings (in red) correspond with those in the table above?

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That is enough! My brain is full! And this is just about regular masculine nouns!

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Not a single neuron is still available for action.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

I do not try to remember all of these things (as well as the many other oddities that I haven’t recorded, because I don’t even know about them), although I hope that the occasional thing stays with me.

Most of all, I have a place to refer to – a mini database. 

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