tři / čtyři

Nouns After Three and Four

Level 2

The numbers tři (three) and čtyři (four) act like standard English numbers when counting subjects or direct objects: they are followed by a normal plural noun and take a plural verb.

How It Works

1. The Basic Rule
In the nominative (subject) and accusative (direct object) cases, simply use tři or čtyři followed by the noun in the nominative or accusative plural. (Note: The number 2 is taught separately because it changes form based on gender, using dva or dvě). Keep in mind that while the numbers tři and čtyři do not change in the accusative, masculine animate nouns still take their specific accusative plural endings (e.g., Nominative: tři muži, Accusative: vidím tři muže).

2. Verb Agreement
Because the noun is in the plural, the verb must also be in the plural. In the past tense, you must pay attention to the gender of the noun to choose the correct plural ending:

  • -i for masculine animate (Tři kluci hráli...)
  • -y for feminine and masculine inanimate (Čtyři ženy hrály...)
  • -a for neuter (Tři auta stála...)

3. The Contrast with 5+
This is a critical distinction in Czech. While 2, 3, and 4 take standard plural nouns and verbs, numbers 5 and higher require the noun to be in the genitive plural and force the verb into the neuter singular.

4. Compound Numbers
For higher numbers ending in 3 or 4 written as two words (like 23 - dvacet tři), you have two options: they can either follow the rule for 3 and 4 (taking a standard plural noun and verb) OR they can behave like numbers 5 and higher (taking the genitive plural and a neuter singular verb, e.g., dvacet tři žáků bylo), which is often preferred in modern Czech. However, if you use the one-word compound format (like třiadvacet), it strictly requires the noun to be in the genitive plural.

5. Oblique Cases
The "standard plural" rule only applies to the nominative and accusative. If the phrase is governed by a preposition that requires a different case, both the number and the noun must decline into that specific case. The standard forms for tři / čtyři are: Genitive (tří / čtyř), Dative (třem / čtyřem), Locative (třech / čtyřech), and Instrumental (třemi / čtyřmi). For example, o třech studentech (about three students). Note that in spoken or colloquial Czech, the forms třech / čtyřech are highly common for the genitive case as well (e.g., do třech hodin). Additionally, when referring to paired body parts (like eyes, ears, hands, or legs) or in fixed expressions, the instrumental forms revert to the dual endings třema / čtyřma (e.g., mezi čtyřma očima).

Examples (4)

  1. Tři studenti přišli včas.

    Three students arrived on time.

    Word by Word: Three students arrived on-time.

    Nominative subject. The verb 'přišli' takes the masculine animate plural '-i' ending to agree with 'studenti'.

  2. Mám čtyři koruny.

    I have four crowns.

    Word by Word: I-have four crowns.

    Accusative direct object. The feminine noun 'koruna' takes its standard plural form 'koruny'.

  3. Čtyři okna jsou otevřená.

    Four windows are open.

    Word by Word: Four windows are open.

    Nominative subject. The neuter noun 'okno' becomes 'okna', and the verb and adjective are in the plural.

  4. Dvacet tři domy stále stojí.

    Twenty-three houses are still standing.

    Word by Word: Twenty three houses still stand.

    Compound numbers ending in 3 or 4 written as two words can take a standard plural noun and verb (as shown here). However, using the genitive plural with a neuter singular verb ('Dvacet tři domů stále stojí') is also correct and highly common.

Common Mistakes

  • Applying the '5 and above' rule to the numbers 3 and 4.

    Přišlo tři lidí.
    Přišli tři lidé.

    Learners often mistakenly use a neuter singular verb and a genitive plural noun with 3 and 4. Remember that 2, 3, and 4 require a standard plural noun and a plural verb.

  • Failing to decline the number and noun in oblique cases (after prepositions).

    Mluvili jsme o tři studenti.
    Mluvili jsme o třech studentech.

    The rule 'tři/čtyři + nominative plural' only works for subjects and direct objects. After prepositions like 'o' (about), both the number and the noun must decline into the required case (here, the locative).

How It Connects

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tři / čtyřiLevel 2Nouns After Three and Four

Learn This First

To understand how 'tři' and 'čtyři' function, learners must first be familiar with the nominative case for subjects and the basic conjunction 'a'. Additionally, understanding the pattern for the number 'two' is a vital stepping stone, as numbers 2, 3, and 4 share the same grammatical rule of requiring a plural noun rather than the genitive singular or plural used with higher quantities.

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čtyři