The third declension includes feminine nouns with zero endings and the word “мати” (a mother).
It does not have groups like the first and second declensions and thus is easier to deal with. Many feminine nouns from this group mean something abstract, object's quality, condition, action or even some general concepts. These nouns often cannot have plural form.
Example: сміливість (courage), гордість (pride), любов (love), щастя (happiness), мудрість (a wisdom), радість (a joy) etc.
Feminine nouns with zero ending
Case | Singular | Plural | ||
Nominative | тінь∅ | ніч∅ | тіні | ночі |
Genitive | тіні | ночі | тіней | ночей |
Dative | тіні | ночі | тіням | ночам |
Accusative | тінь∅ | ніч∅ | тіні | ночі |
Instrumental | тінню | ніччю | тінями | ночами |
Locative | (у) тіні | (у) ночі | (у) тінях | (у) ночах |
Vocative | тіне | ноче | тіні | ночі |
тінь [tʲinʲ] — a shadow
ніч [nʲit͡ʃ] — a night
The noun “мати”
Case | Singular | Plural |
Nominative | мати | матері |
Genitive | матері | матерів |
Dative | матері | матерям |
Accusative | матір∅ | матерів |
Instrumental | матір'ю | матерями |
Locative | (у) матері | (у) матерях |
Vocative | мати | матері |
мати ['mɑtɪ] — a mother
Notes
The stresses are underlined.
The ∅ sign means that there is no ending (zero ending).
Comments
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In the Istrumental case singular nouns have у(ю) ending and if:
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the word ends with one consonant (except б, п, в, м, ф and р) then this consonant will double:
тінь (a shadow) — тінню,
ніч (a night) — ніччю,
річ (a thing) — річчю,
мідь (copper) — міддю etc.;
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the word ends with two consonants or б, п, в, м, ф, or р, щ then the consonant will not double:
радість (a joy) — радістю,
сміливість (courage) — сміливістю,
любов (love) — любов'ю,
матір (a mother) — матір'ю etc.
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The change of о with і, е vowels:
радість (a joy) — радості
сміливість (courage) — сміливості
сіль (a salt) — солі
ніч (a night) — ночі
річ (a thing) — речі
піч (a stove) — печі
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As you can see the word мати has -и ending unlike the other words of the group. Then why is it included to this group? The answer is simple. The word has similar endings in all the cases (except the Vocative and the plural Genitive cases) as other nouns of the group.
The only thing is that it also achives the -ер- and -ір- suffixes.