Declension of Cardinal Numerals

Level 5Sounds Like sklanenne kolʹkasnyh líčébníkaŭ

Numbers change their endings after prepositions and verbs, and the noun takes the same case: з двума сябрамі (with two friends), з дзвюма сяброўкамі (with two female friends), аб пяці кнігах (about five books).

How It Works

In the nominative you already know the special rules: два сталы, пяць сталоў. In the other cases the rule is simpler: the numeral takes its own case ending, and the noun goes into the same case in the plural: двум сябрам (to two friends), з пяццю сябрамі (with five friends).

Два, дзве, тры, чатыры

  • Genitive: двух, дзвюх, трох, чатырох
  • Dative: двум, дзвюм, тром, чатыром
  • Instrumental: двума, дзвюма, трыма, чатырма (always ending in -а)
  • Locative: (аб) двух, дзвюх, трох, чатырох

Keep the feminine forms with feminine nouns in every case: з дзвюма сяброўкамі, дзвюм сёстрам.

Пяць to трыццаць end like the feminine noun соль: genitive, dative and locative in -і, instrumental in -ю. пяць: пяці, пяццю; шэсць: шасці, шасцю; сем: сямі, сямю; восем: васьмі, васьмю; дзесяць: дзесяці, дзесяццю; дваццаць: дваццаці, дваццаццю. Note the doubled цц between vowels (пяццю), but a single ц after a consonant (шасцю).

Сорак, дзевяноста, сто keep the nominative form in the accusative and have just one form in all the other cases: сарака, дзевяноста, ста. Пяцьдзясят to васемдзесят change both halves: пяцідзесяці, instrumental пяццюдзесяццю. Hundreds do the same: дзвесце becomes двухсот, двумстам, двумастамі, (аб) двухстах. Тысяча is a noun: see hundreds and thousands.

Compound numbers. Every word changes: з дваццаццю пяццю рублямі (with twenty-five rubles), да трохсот пяцідзесяці (up to three hundred and fifty). In speech people sometimes change only the last word, but in writing change them all.

Accusative. With things, the accusative looks like the nominative: Я купіў два сшыткі. With people and animals, два, тры and чатыры take the genitive form, as in the animate accusative: Я сустрэў двух суседзяў. From пяць up the accusative stays like the nominative: Я сустрэў пяць суседзяў. Адзін changes like an adjective: аднаго, аднаму, адным; адна: адной, адну.

Examples (6)

  1. Ён жыў у Мінску каля трох гадоў.

    He lived in Minsk for about three years.

    Word by Word: He lived in Minsk about three years.

    Каля takes the genitive: трох гадоў.

  2. Я пайшоў у кіно з двума сябрамі.

    I went to the cinema with two friends.

    Word by Word: I went to cinema with two friends.

    Instrumental: двума with сябрамі.

  3. Мама патэлефанавала дзвюм сяброўкам.

    Mom called two of her friends.

    Word by Word: Mom phoned two female-friends.

    Feminine dative: дзвюм.

  4. Настаўнік расказаў аб пяці кнігах гэтага пісьменніка.

    The teacher talked about five books by this writer.

    Word by Word: Teacher told about five books of-this writer.

    Locative: пяці with кнігах.

  5. У класе не хапае сарака падручнікаў.

    The class is forty textbooks short.

    Word by Word: In class not suffices forty textbooks.

    Сорак has the short form сарака in the genitive.

  6. Я сустрэў на вуліцы двух суседзяў.

    I met two neighbours in the street.

    Word by Word: I met on street two neighbours.

    People in the accusative: двух, like the genitive.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the numeral and noun in the nominative after з.

    Я пайшоў у кіно з два сябры.
    Я пайшоў у кіно з двума сябрамі.

    З meaning with takes the instrumental, and both words change: двума сябрамі.

  • Using the masculine form with a feminine noun in the other cases.

    Я гуляла з двума сяброўкамі.
    Я гуляла з дзвюма сяброўкамі.

    Дзве keeps its own feminine forms in every case: дзвюх, дзвюм, дзвюма.

  • Writing a single ц in the instrumental of пяць.

    Мы прыйшлі з пяцю кнігамі.
    Мы прыйшлі з пяццю кнігамі.

    Between two vowels the ц doubles: пяццю, дзесяццю, дваццаццю. Only after a consonant is it single: шасцю.

How It Connects

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Declension of Cardinal NumeralsLevel 5

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Numeral declension needs counting and plural cases.

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Words in This Pattern

адзіндватрыпяцьстотысяча