пять и больше + Genitive Plural
Numerals Five and Above with Genitive Plural
When counting 5 or more items (in the Nominative case), the noun changes to the Genitive Plural form.
How It Works
This rule applies when the numeral itself is in the Nominative (subject) or Accusative (direct object) case. Unlike smaller numbers, numerals 5 and above trigger the Genitive Plural for both animate and inanimate objects in the Accusative.
1. Which numbers follow this rule?
- The number 0 (ноль).
- Numbers 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
- The 'teens': 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19.
- Multiples of ten: 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90.
- Compound numbers ending in 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 0 (e.g., 25, 108).
- Large nouns like тысяча (1,000), миллион (1,000,000), and миллиард (1,000,000,000) always trigger the Genitive Plural.
2. Adjective Agreement:
If there is an adjective between the numeral and the noun, the adjective must also be in the Genitive Plural (e.g., пять новых книг).
3. The '11–14' Exception:
Unlike 22, 23, and 24 (which take the Genitive Singular), the numbers 11, 12, 13, and 14 always take the Genitive Plural because they are treated as a single block ending in the 'teen' suffix.
4. Special Counting Forms:
Some nouns have irregular Genitive Plural forms used specifically for counting:
- человек (person): stays человек after 5+ (пять человек) instead of людей.
- год (year): changes to лет after 5+ (пять лет).
- раз (time/occasion): stays раз (пять раз) using a zero-ending form.
Examples (5)
- В этой группе пять студентов.
There are five students in this group.
Word by Word: In this group five students [Gen. Pl.].
The numeral 'пять' (5) requires the noun 'студент' to be in the Genitive Plural form 'студентов'.
- У меня есть десять новых книг.
I have ten new books.
Word by Word: At me there are ten new [Gen. Pl.] books [Gen. Pl.].
Both the adjective 'новые' and the noun 'книги' shift to the Genitive Plural after 'десять' (10).
- На столе лежит двенадцать яблок.
There are twelve apples lying on the table.
Word by Word: On table lies twelve apples [Gen. Pl.].
Even though 12 ends in '2', it is a 'teen' number (двенадцать) and therefore takes the Genitive Plural.
- В классе было двадцать человек.
There were twenty people in the class.
Word by Word: In class were twenty people [counting form].
After numerals 5 and above, the word for 'people' uses the counting form 'человек' instead of 'людей'.
- Я купил шесть больших окон.
I bought six large windows.
Word by Word: I bought six large [Gen. Pl.] windows [Gen. Pl.].
Since 'windows' are inanimate, the numeral stays in the Nominative/Accusative form, triggering the Genitive Plural.
Common Mistakes
Using the Genitive Singular for numbers 5 and above.
пять столапять столовLearners often confuse the rule for 2, 3, 4 (Genitive Singular) with the rule for 5+ (Genitive Plural).
Treating 12, 13, and 14 like 2, 3, and 4.
двенадцать рублядвенадцать рублейNumbers 11–14 are exceptions; they always take the Genitive Plural, unlike 22, 23, or 24.
Using Genitive Plural when the numeral is in an oblique case.
Я подошёл к пяти столов.Я подошёл к пяти столам.The Genitive Plural rule only applies when the numeral is in the Nominative or Accusative case. In the Dative case (к пяти), the noun must agree with the numeral in the Dative (столам).
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn numerals five and above, a learner must already be familiar with the basic concept of numeral-noun agreement in Russian. Specifically, they should understand how lower numerals (2, 3, 4) govern the genitive singular, and how general quantity words (like 'many' or 'few') govern the genitive plural, as this pattern follows the latter logic.
- два/три/четыре + Genitive SingularNumerals Two to Four with Genitive Singular
Understanding how lower numerals govern the genitive case is a necessary conceptual step before learning the shift to genitive plural for higher numerals.
Level 2 - много/мало/несколько + GenitiveQuantity Words with the Genitive
This pattern introduces the use of the genitive plural for expressing quantities, which is the same grammatical mechanism used for numerals five and above.
Level 2
Related Patterns
- один/одна/одно/одниAgreement of Один
Numerals ending in 1 (except 11) follow a different rule, requiring the Nominative Singular.
Level 2 - много/мало/несколько + Genitive PluralQuantifiers with Genitive Plural
Indefinite quantifiers like 'many' or 'few' govern the Genitive Plural in the same way as numerals 5+.
Level 4 - Compound numerals governed by the final word
Explains how the very last word of a large number (like 155) determines which case the noun takes.
Level 2 - Adjective agreement in oblique cases
Explains how adjectives change their endings to match the case of the noun they modify.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice пять и больше + Genitive Plural in Bubblegum
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