Adjectives after Two to Four
In Belarusian, два, тры, чатыры keep the adjective in the nominative plural: тры вялікія кнігі (three big books). It does not switch to the genitive, as it does in Russian.
How It Works
1. The rule. Standard Belarusian puts an adjective that goes with два, дзве, тры, чатыры, абодва or абедзве in the nominative plural: два новыя сталы, абодва старэйшыя браты (both older brothers).
2. Compound numbers. The last word decides: дваццаць тры новыя студэнты (23 new students), but дваццаць пяць новых студэнтаў (25 new students).
3. Before the numeral. An adjective placed before the numeral is nominative plural too: апошнія два дні (the last two days), першыя тры гады (the first three years).
4. Watch the stress. Some feminine nouns stressed on the ending keep the stress of the genitive singular after these numerals: дзве старэйшыя сястры (two older sisters), not сёстры. The adjective is still nominative plural.
5. Compare Russian. Russian says два новых стола; Belarusian says два новыя сталы. See two to four with the nominative plural and five and up with the genitive plural.
Examples (6)
- На стале ляжаць тры цікавыя кнігі.
There are three interesting books on the table.
Тры + nominative plural adjective and noun.
- У мяне два старэйшыя браты.
I have two older brothers.
Два + старэйшыя браты.
- Мы купілі чатыры белыя крэслы.
We bought four white chairs.
Чатыры + белыя крэслы.
- У нашай школе працуюць дзве маладыя настаўніцы.
Two young teachers work at our school.
Дзве with a feminine noun; the adjective is still nominative plural.
- Апошнія два дні былі вельмі цёплыя.
The last two days were very warm.
An adjective before the numeral is nominative plural too.
- У групе дваццаць тры новыя студэнты.
There are twenty-three new students in the group.
The last word, тры, decides the form.
Common Mistakes
Using the Russian-style genitive plural adjective.
На стале ляжаць тры цікавых кнігі.На стале ляжаць тры цікавыя кнігі.In standard Belarusian, an adjective after тры is nominative plural, like the noun.
Keeping the nominative after пяць.
Мы купілі пяць новыя крэслы.Мы купілі пяць новых крэслаў.From пяць upward, both the adjective and the noun are genitive plural.
Using два with a feminine noun.
У мяне два старэйшыя сястры.У мяне дзве старэйшыя сястры.With feminine nouns, два becomes дзве. The adjective stays nominative plural.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Adjectives after numbers need two to four and adjective endings.
Related Patterns
- пяць and Up + Genitive PluralFive and Up with the Genitive Plural
The contrasting rule from пяць upward.
Level 2 - Adjective Agreement
The nominative plural adjective forms used after два, тры, чатыры.
Level 1 - Adjective Case Endings
The genitive plural adjective endings used after пяць.
Level 3 - абодва / абедзвеBoth with Абодва and Абедзве
Абодва and абедзве follow the same adjective rule.
Level 4 - Collective Numerals
A different way of counting people and plural-only nouns.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice Adjectives after Two to Four in Bubblegum
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