Predicate after quantified subjects of five or more

In standard Czech, when a subject is quantified by a cardinal number of 5 or higher (pět, šest, deset, sto) or an indefinite quantifier (mnoho, několik, hodně, málo), the phrase is often treated grammatically as a single abstract amount.

For simple numerals (5–99) and indefinite quantifiers, the numeral acts as the syntactic head of the phrase. Because these words lack inherent gender or number, they force two grammatical changes:

• The counted noun (and any modifying adjectives) must be in the genitive plural (e.g., Pět nových studentů chybělo. [Five new students were absent.]).
• The predicate verb defaults to the neuter singular.

Verb Forms:
In the present and future tenses, the verb takes the 3rd-person singular form (e.g., Na stole leží pět knih. [Five books are lying on the table.]). In the past tense and conditional, the l-participle takes the neuter singular ending -o (e.g., Pět studentů chybělo. [Five students were absent.]). Passive participles and predicate adjectives also take the neuter singular (e.g., Deset aut bylo odtaženo. [Ten cars were towed.]).

Crucial Conditions & Exceptions:

• Direct Cases (Nominative/Accusative): The neuter singular verb agreement naturally only applies when the phrase is the subject (Nominative). However, the requirement to put the counted noun in the genitive plural applies to both the Nominative and the Accusative cases. When the phrase is the direct object, the noun is still forced into the genitive plural (e.g., Vidím pět mužů. [I see five men.] or Mám několik otázek. [I have a few questions.]). If the phrase is governed by a preposition or verb in an oblique case (Genitive, Dative, Locative, Instrumental), the numeral and noun decline together. Simple numerals from 5 to 99, compounds ending in 5–9, and one-word inverted compounds ending in 1–4 (e.g., jedenadvacet, dvaadvacet) take the ending -i in all oblique cases (e.g., bez pěti mužů [without five men], k pěti mužům [to five men], o pěti mužích [about five men], s pěti muži [with five men], bez dvaadvaceti mužů [without twenty-two men]). For compound numerals ending in 1–4 written as separate words, the parts decline individually (e.g., bez dvaceti dvou mužů [without twenty-two men]). Indefinite quantifiers like mnoho and několik also decline (e.g., bez mnoha [without many], s několika [with a few]). However, hodně is indeclinable, while málo can either be indeclinable or decline like a noun (e.g., bez mála, k málu, s málem). Both are often replaced by mnoho and několik after prepositions. Furthermore, the numeral sto [hundred] can either decline along with the noun (e.g., se sto muži [with a hundred men]) or act as a noun head, forcing the counted noun into the genitive plural even in oblique cases (e.g., se stem mužů [with a hundred men]).
• Contrast with 2-4: Numerals 2, 3, and 4 take standard plural verb agreement (see nouns after three and four).
• Compound Numerals: Numbers ending in 1, 2, 3, or 4 (e.g., 21, 22) written as separate words strictly bypass the genitive plural rule. They take standard plural agreement, and the counted noun remains in the Nominative (e.g., Dvacet dva muži přišli. [Twenty-two men arrived.]). In contrast, if they are expressed as a single-word inverted compound (e.g., jednadvacet, dvaadvacet), the neuter singular verb and genitive plural noun rule strictly applies (e.g., Dvaadvacet mužů přišlo. [Twenty-two men arrived.]).
• Noun Quantifiers: Higher numerals like sto (neuter), tisíc (masculine inanimate), milion (masculine inanimate), and miliarda (feminine) are grammatically nouns with inherent gender and number. While sto triggers neuter singular agreement when acting as a quantifier block (e.g., Sto lidí přišlo.), tisíc allows both neuter singular agreement (Tisíc lidí přišlo.) and masculine inanimate singular agreement (Tisíc lidí přišel.). Words like milion and miliarda take masculine inanimate and feminine singular verb agreement, respectively (e.g., Milion lidí přišel. [A million people arrived.]). In the plural, words like stovky, tisíce, and miliony behave as regular plural nouns and take plural verb endings (e.g., Miliony lidí přišly. [Millions of people arrived.]).

Register Note:
While standard written Czech strictly requires the neuter singular for these quantified subjects, native speakers routinely use plural verb agreement in everyday spoken Czech (e.g., pět lidí přišli [five people arrived]). However, this is considered an error in formal writing.