Numbers in Every Case

Level 4

Numbers 1 to 9 take the same case as their noun: su dviem draugais (with two friends), trims vaikams (to three children), iš keturių (out of four).

How It Works

1. Vienas, viena (one) changes like geras, gera: vieno, vienam, vieną, vienu, viename and vienos, vienai, vieną, viena, vienoje.

2. Du, dvi (two):

  • Genitive: dviejų
  • Dative: dviem
  • Accusative: du / dvi
  • Instrumental: dviem
  • Locative: dviejuose / dviejose

3. Trys (three) has the same basic form for both genders; the locative distinguishes them:

  • Genitive: trijų
  • Dative: trims
  • Accusative: tris
  • Instrumental: trimis
  • Locative: trijuose / trijose

4. Keturi to devyni change like plural adjectives: keturių, keturiems / keturioms, keturis / keturias, keturiais / keturiomis, keturiuose / keturiose. Penki, šeši, septyni, aštuoni, devyni follow the same pattern.

5. In sentences. Važiavau su dviem draugais (I traveled with two friends). Nupirkau dovanų trims vaikams (I bought presents for three children). Turiu penkis pusbrolius (I have five cousins).

6. Ten and above. After dešimt and vienuolika the noun is always genitive plural. The numbers ending in -lika do have case forms, such as be penkiolikos, while dešimt and the tens are often left unchanged in everyday speech.

Examples (6)

  1. Važiavau su dviem draugais.

    I traveled with two friends.

    Dviem is the instrumental of du after su.

  2. Nupirkau dovanų trims vaikams.

    I bought presents for three children.

    Trims is the dative of trys, matching vaikams.

  3. Laimėjo tik vienas iš keturių žaidėjų.

    Only one of the four players won.

    Keturių is the genitive after iš.

  4. Gyvenau dviejuose miestuose.

    I lived in two cities.

    Dviejuose is the masculine locative.

  5. Susitikau su trimis draugėmis.

    I met up with three (female) friends.

    Trimis is the instrumental of trys.

  6. Turiu penkis pusbrolius.

    I have five cousins.

    Penkis is the masculine accusative, matching pusbrolius.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the number in the nominative after su.

    Važiavau su du draugais.
    Važiavau su dviem draugais.

    Su takes the instrumental, and the number changes too: dviem, trimis, keturiais.

  • Changing the noun but not the number.

    Nupirkau dovanų trys vaikams.
    Nupirkau dovanų trims vaikams.

    The number must be in the same case as its noun. The dative of trys is trims.

How It Connects

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

Numbers in Every CaseLevel 4

Learn This First

Small cardinal numbers decline with their nouns through the case system.

Words in This Pattern

vienasdutrysketuripenkišešiseptyniaštuonidevynivienamvienoje