Numbers with Endings
kaks linna (two cities) becomes kahes linnas (in two cities) and kolme lapsega (with three children).
How It Works
Numbers decline like other words. The genitive is the key form: üks – ühe, kaks – kahe, kolm – kolme, neli – nelja, viis – viie, kuus – kuue, seitse – seitsme, kaheksa – kaheksa, üheksa – üheksa, kümme – kümne, sada – saja, tuhat – tuhande.
- Nominative number: the noun is in the partitive singular: kaks linna, viis minutit. This is also how a whole object with a number looks: Ostsin kaks piletit.
- Other cases: the number and the noun share the case, and the noun stays singular: kahe linna, kahes linnas, kolmele sõbrale, viiest raamatust.
- -ni, -na, -ta, -ga: the number stays in the genitive and only the noun takes the ending: kolme lapsega, viie euroni.
- üks works like an adjective: üks linn, ühes linnas, ühe lapsega, and a whole object is ühe pileti.
Compound numbers: in the nominative, genitive and partitive every part changes: kakskümmend viis – kahekümne viie. From the illative on, the front parts stay in the genitive and only the last part takes the ending: kahekümne viiele inimesele, kahekümne viiest õpilasest. Only a part you want to stress may take the ending too. Numbers with -teist need the full form in these cases: viieteistkümnes linnas.
Examples (6)
- Ta on elanud kahes linnas.
She has lived in two cities.
Word by Word: she has lived two-in city-in
Both words are inessive, and linnas stays singular.
- Tulen viie minuti pärast.
I will come in five minutes.
Word by Word: come-I five minute after
pärast needs the genitive: viie minuti.
- Ta käis poes kolme lapsega.
She went to the shop with three children.
Word by Word: she went shop-in three child-with
Only the noun takes -ga; kolme stays genitive.
- Kirjutasin kolmele sõbrale.
I wrote to three friends.
Word by Word: wrote-I three-to friend-to
- Kahekümne viiest õpilasest tuli kohale ainult kümme.
Of twenty-five students, only ten turned up.
Word by Word: twenty-GEN five-from student-from came to-place only ten
kahekümne stays genitive; only viiest takes the ending.
- Ostsin kaks piletit.
I bought two tickets.
Word by Word: bought-I two ticket-PART
A nominative number takes the partitive singular.
Common Mistakes
Putting the noun in the plural after a number.
Ta on elanud kahes linnades.Ta on elanud kahes linnas.After a number the noun stays singular in every case.
Adding -ga to the number as well as the noun.
Ta tuli kolmega lapsega.Ta tuli kolme lapsega.In the -ni, -na, -ta and -ga cases the number stays in the genitive.
Leaving the front part of a compound number in the nominative.
Kirjutasin kakskümmend viiele inimesele.Kirjutasin kahekümne viiele inimesele.Outside the nominative, the front part of a compound number cannot stay kakskümmend. From the illative on, the front parts are in the genitive, kahekümne, and only the last part takes the ending.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Numbers take endings and agree with the noun.
Related Patterns
- Tens and Hundreds (-kümmend, -sada)Tens and Hundreds
How the compound numbers themselves are built.
Level 1 - Adjectives with -ni, -na, -ta, -ga
The same genitive rule for -ni, -na, -ta and -ga.
Level 3 - Genitive (Owner Form)
The genitive is the base for every other case of a number.
Level 1 - Clock Times with Endings
Clock times use the same number forms: kella viieni.
Level 3 - Numbers with Plural-Only Nouns
The special plural forms of numbers.
Level 5
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Numbers with Endings in Bubblegum
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