Amounts and the Genitive

Level 2

A word for an amount is usually followed by the genitive.

How It Works

Words for amounts and containers make a chain: the first word names how much, and the second is in the genitive.

Amount wordWith the genitive
čašačaša vode
fildžanfildžan kafe
kilogramkilogram jabuka
malo, puno, mnogo, dostamalo šećera, puno ljudi

For things you cannot count, such as water or sugar, the genitive singular is used. For things you can count, the genitive plural is used. Its endings come later, so learn jabuka, ljudi and knjiga as phrases for now.

Some words follow other rules. A word such as mnogi, an adjective, agrees with its noun instead: mnogi ljudi.

Examples (5)

  1. Molim čašu vode.

    A glass of water, please.

    Čaša is followed by vode.

  2. Treba mi malo šećera.

    I need a little sugar.

    Malo takes šećera.

  3. U Sarajevu ima puno turista.

    There are many tourists in Sarajevo.

    Puno takes the genitive plural turista.

  4. Kupujem kilogram jabuka.

    I am buying a kilogram of apples.

    Kilogram takes the genitive plural jabuka.

  5. Fildžan kafe, molim.

    A small cup of coffee, please.

    Fildžan takes kafe.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the nominative after an amount.

    Treba mi malo šećer.
    Treba mi malo šećera.

    After malo, the genitive follows.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Amounts and the GenitiveLevel 2

Learn This First

Amounts take the genitive.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

čašafildžankilogrammalopunomnogodostagenitivkoličina