Russian adjectives turned into nouns

  Sometimes adjectives no longer want to play the roles assigned to them and become nouns. At least that's what happens in Russian once in a while. Such newborn adjective-nouns look and conjugate like adjectives but play the role of nouns in a sentence. I'll give you a few examples.

книжный - bookstore

Я купила журнал в книжном. - I bought a magazine in a bookstore.

столовая - dining-hall

В столовой было много народу. - There were many people in the dining-hall.

гостиная - living room

В их доме две гостиных. - There are two living rooms in their house.

парикмахерская - hairdressing saloon

Он пошёл в парикмахерскую. - He went to a hairdressing saloon.

слепой - blind person

глухой - deaf person

У слепых и глухих бывает много проблем. - Blind and deaf people face many problems.

немой - mute person

Немые учат язык жестов. - Mute people learn sign language.

русский - Russian person

Русская и американка позавтракали в кафе. - A Russian and an American girl had a breakfast in a cafe.

дорогой - darling, dear

Дорогой, принеси мне мой телефон. - Darling, bring me my phone.

военный - military man

По улице шли военные. - Military men walked down the street.

другой - other

Мы часто не замечаем проблемы других. - We often don't notice problems of others.

остальной - the rest

Остальное можно оставить здесь. - The rest can be left here.

These words can still be adjectives if they describe a noun like here:

Я купила журнал в книжном магазине. - I bought a magazine in a bookstore.

Это — русское блюдо. - This is a Russian meal.

Эти вещи мне очень дороги. - These things are very dear to me.