několik / mnoho / málo + Genitive Plural

Indefinite quantifiers behave like containers or measure words rather than standard adjectives. This creates specific rules for verb agreement and case usage.

1. Verb Agreement
In standard written Czech, when a phrase like několik lidí is the subject, the verb takes the neuter singular form. In the past tense, this means using the -lo ending: Několik lidí přišlo. This is the exact same behavior seen with numbers five and higher. However, in informal spoken Czech, plural verb agreement is very common. Note that in this informal register, the gender distinction in plural verbs is phonetically neutralized (all plural verbs end in an [-i] sound, e.g., Několik lidí přišli, Několik žen přišli). Note that noun-based quantifiers like spousta (a lot) and většina (majority) take feminine singular agreement: Spousta lidí přišla. The very common form spoustu and the quantifier trochu (a little) act as indeclinable quantifiers in the nominative and accusative cases and take neuter singular agreement: Spoustu lidí přišlo. Additionally, spousta has gained the status of an adverb, making Spousta lidí přišlo completely grammatically correct in standard Czech. Note that unlike spousta/spoustu, většina cannot act as an indeclinable neuter quantifier, and Většina lidí přišlo is strictly grammatically incorrect in standard written Czech, though this 'error' is very common in casual speech due to attraction to neuter quantifiers.

2. Countable vs. Uncountable Nouns

• Countable: Use the genitive plural (e.g., několik knih - several books). This contrasts with the number 1, which acts as an adjective (e.g., jedna kniha), and numbers 2, 3, and 4, which decline alongside the noun (e.g., nominative or accusative plural in vidím tři knihy).
• Uncountable/Mass: Use the genitive singular (e.g., málo času - little time).

3. Other Quantifiers
The words kolik (how many/much), tolik (so many/much), and pár (a few) follow the exact same genitive rules as několik. Note that while pár is undeclinable when used as an indefinite quantifier meaning 'a few', it declines as a standard noun when it literally means 'a pair' (e.g., s párem bot). Meanwhile, kolik and tolik decline just like několik (e.g., s kolika lidmi, s tolika lidmi).

4. The Oblique Case Exception
The genitive rule only applies when the phrase is in a structural case (nominative or accusative). If a preposition requires a different case (like the instrumental or locative), the genitive rule 'switches off'. Declinable quantifiers like několik, kolik, tolik, mnoho, and málo must decline to match the required case: s několika lidmi (with several people). Note that mnoho declines to mnoha and málo declines to mála in all oblique cases (e.g., s mnoha lidmi, s mála lidmi), though málo is sometimes left undeclined colloquially. Undeclinable ones like hodně or pár stay the same, but the noun still takes the preposition's case: s hodně lidmi, s pár lidmi. Note that noun-based quantifiers like spousta or většina never 'switch off' the genitive rule in oblique cases. Because they are standard nouns, they decline according to their own paradigm, and the counted noun remains in the genitive (e.g., se spoustou lidí). This also applies to spoustu, which reverts to standard noun declension in oblique cases.

5. Register Differences
While několik and málo are register-neutral, mnoho is slightly formal and more common in written Czech. In everyday spoken Czech, hodně is the standard equivalent of mnoho.