два дена / три часа
Count Forms After Numbers
ден → два дена (two days), but деновите (the days). The count form in -а comes right after a number, колку or неколку.
How It Works
Macedonian has an ordinary plural and a separate count plural (избројана множина) for exact amounts. Compare:
- ден — денови — два дена (day, days, two days)
- час — часови — три часа (hour or lesson)
- стол — столови — пет стола (chair)
- клуч — клучеви — два клуча (key)
- молив — моливи — четири молива (pencil)
- килограм — килограми — два килограма (kilo)
When to use it: directly after a number (два, три, дваесет и пет) and after колку (how many) and неколку (a few): Колку дена?, неколку часа. With an article, the article goes on the number: двата дена, трите часа.
When not to use it: without a number, use the ordinary plural: Деновите се долги. Feminine and neuter nouns never take it: две книги, три села. Men and mixed groups are usually counted with двајца; тројца; петмина: двајца студенти.
Пат (time, occasion) has its own form after numbers: два пати, три пати. In everyday speech you will sometimes hear the ordinary plural after a number, but the -а form is the standard one to learn.
This is also why пет часа means five hours, while пет часот is five o'clock (see колку е часот).
Examples (6)
- Останавме три дена во Охрид.
We stayed in Ohrid for three days.
Word by Word: Stayed-we three days in Ohrid.
- Филмот трае два часа.
The film lasts two hours.
Word by Word: Film-the lasts two hours.
- Колку листа хартија ти требаат?
How many sheets of paper do you need?
Word by Word: How-many sheets paper to-you are-needed?
- Во собата има неколку стола.
There are a few chairs in the room.
Word by Word: In room-the has a-few chairs.
- Купив два килограма домати.
I bought two kilos of tomatoes.
Word by Word: Bought-I two kilos tomatoes.
- Двата дена во Струга поминаа брзо.
The two days in Struga went by quickly.
Word by Word: Two-the days in Struga passed quickly.
The article goes on the number, and the noun stays in the count form.
Common Mistakes
Using the ordinary plural right after a number.
Останавме три денови.Останавме три дена.After a number, masculine nouns for things take the count form in -а: дена, not денови.
Using the ordinary plural after колку.
Колку часови чекаше?Колку часа чекаше?Колку (how many) also takes the count form: колку часа, колку дена.
Giving a feminine noun the count ending -а.
Купив три книга.Купив три книги.The count form belongs only to masculine nouns. Feminine книга keeps its ordinary plural книги.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Count forms need numbers and the plural.
Related Patterns
- Numbers One to Ten
The count form appears right after these numbers: два дена, пет стола.
Level 1 - Plural in -ови / -евиOne-Syllable Masculine Plurals
One-syllable nouns such as ден and стол take -ови in the ordinary plural but -а after numbers.
Level 1 - колку е часотTelling the Time
Пет часа (five hours) and пет часот (five o'clock) are easy to confuse.
Level 2 - двајца / тројца / петминаCounting Men and Mixed Groups
Men and mixed groups are counted with special words instead: двајца студенти.
Level 3 - чаша вода / килограм јаболкаAmounts and Containers
Measure words such as килограм and литар take the count form after numbers: два литра млеко.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice два дена / три часа in Bubblegum
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