Plural Endings in Three Cases

Level 3

One plural ending serves three cases.

How It Works

gendersingulardat., loc., instr. plural
masculineprijateljprijateljima
neuterseloselima
femininekućakućama

Because the form is the same, the rest of the sentence tells you the case:

  • Dative (to): Dajem knjige sestrama.
  • Locative (in, on, about): Živimo u malim kućama.
  • Instrumental (with): Putujem s prijateljima.

Feminine nouns that end in a consonant take -ima (noćima). Masculine nouns with -ov- or -ev- take it after the extra syllable (gradovima). In speech you also hear -ama on masculine and neuter nouns, but -ima is the form to learn. Adjectives take -im, and the longer -ima is also standard: s dobrim prijateljima.

The plural stem is the one you know from the nominative plural. Check stolovi: stolovima.

Examples (4)

  1. Dajem knjige sestrama.

    I am giving the books to my sisters.

    Sestrama is dative plural.

  2. Živimo u malim kućama.

    We live in small houses.

    Kućama is locative plural.

  3. Putujem s prijateljima.

    I travel with friends.

    Prijateljima is instrumental plural.

  4. Pričamo o selima.

    We talk about villages.

    Selima is locative plural.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the singular after s.

    Putujem s prijatelj.
    Putujem s prijateljima.

    S plus a group needs the plural instrumental.

How It Connects

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

Plural Endings in Three CasesLevel 3

Learn This First

These plural cases share an ending.

Words in This Pattern

dativlokativinstrumentalmnožina