двата / двете / двајцата

Both

Level 3Sounds Like dvata; dvete; dvaǰcata

Put the article on the number: двата града (both cities), двете сестри (both sisters), двајцата (both of them, for two men or a man and a woman): Двајцата дојдоа (Both of them came).

How It Works

The forms. Numbers ending in -а take -та, and the others take -те: два → двата, две → двете, двајца → двајцата. The same works with three: трите сестри (the three sisters), тројцата браќа (the three brothers).

Only one article. As in other phrases, the article goes on the first word, so the noun after the number has none: двете сестри, двете деца. A masculine thing keeps its count form: двата града. People who are male, or a mixed pair, take двајцата with the normal plural: двајцата браќа (see counting men and mixed groups).

Without a noun. Двајцата and двете can stand alone: Двајцата дојдоа (Both of them came). The verb can also be we or you: Двајцата работиме во Скопје (We both work in Skopje).

As an object. Because both is definite, an object with двата or двете is doubled with ги: Ги прочитав и двете книги (I read both books). The little word и adds weight, like English both of them. It is the same и as in и ... и (both ... and).

Examples (6)

  1. Двата града се многу убави.

    Both towns are very beautiful.

    Град is a masculine thing, so the number is двата and the noun keeps its count form града.

  2. Двете сестри живеат во Битола.

    The two sisters live in Bitola.

    Only the number has the article; сестри has none.

  3. Двајцата дојдоа на време.

    Both of them came on time.

    Двајцата stands alone and refers to two men or a man and a woman.

  4. Двајцата работиме во Скопје.

    We both work in Skopje.

    The verb is we, so двајцата here means both of us.

  5. Ги прочитав и двете книги.

    I read both books.

    The definite object is doubled with ги, and и adds weight.

  6. Двете деца спијат.

    Both children are asleep.

    Дете is neuter, so the number is двете.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the article on the noun as well as the number.

    Двете сестрите живеат во Битола.
    Двете сестри живеат во Битола.

    The article appears only once, on the first word of the phrase, which here is the number.

  • Using the masculine двата with a feminine noun.

    Двата сестри дојдоа.
    Двете сестри дојдоа.

    Сестра is feminine, so two is две and both is двете.

How It Connects

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

двата / двете / двајцатаLevel 3Both

Learn This First

Both combines number forms for people and the article.

Words in This Pattern

два