Numbers in Cases

Level 4

In the genitive, dative, locative and instrumental, numbers from two up take their own endings: bez dvoch hráčov, trom deťom, v štyroch mestách, s piatimi priateľmi.

How It Works

Two to five.

  • Genitive: dvoch, troch, štyroch, piatich: bez dvoch hráčov
  • Dative: dvom, trom, štyrom, piatim: trom vnúčatám
  • Locative: dvoch, troch, štyroch, piatich: v štyroch mestách
  • Instrumental: dvoma / dvomi, troma / tromi, štyrmi, piatimi: s dvoma priateľmi

Both dvoma and dvomi (and troma and tromi) are correct.

Nominative and accusative. For things, women and animals the accusative is the same as the nominative: Mám dve sestry. Kúpil som päť rožkov. For men it is the same as the genitive: Mám dvoch bratov. With five and more, men can also keep päť: Pozval som piatich / päť kamarátov.

Six and up. Numbers from six to ninety-nine follow päť: šiestich, siedmich, ôsmich, deviatich, desiatich, dvadsiatich: so šiestimi študentmi, pred desiatimi rokmi. Sto (100) and tisíc (1000) usually stay unchanged: pred sto rokmi.

One. Jeden, jedna, jedno change like the adjective pekný: jedného, jednému, s jedným priateľom, v jednej knihe.

The noun after five. The genitive plural after päť is only for the subject and the object. After a preposition, the noun follows the case of the preposition: päť rokov, but pred piatimi rokmi, o piatich rokoch.

For telling the time, Slovak uses ordinals, not these forms: o tretej, od ôsmej do štvrtej. See Telling the Time.

Examples (6)

  1. Hovoril som s dvoma priateľmi.

    I talked with two friends.

    Word by Word: I-talked with two friends.

    Dvomi priateľmi is also correct.

  2. Bývali sme tu pred piatimi rokmi.

    We lived here five years ago.

    Word by Word: We-lived here before five years.

    After pred, the noun is instrumental, not genitive plural.

  3. Babka dala darčeky trom vnúčatám.

    Grandma gave presents to three grandchildren.

    Word by Word: Grandma gave presents to-three grandchildren.

  4. Bez dvoch hráčov sme nemohli hrať.

    We couldn't play without two players.

    Word by Word: Without two players we couldn't play.

  5. V štyroch mestách celý deň pršalo.

    It rained all day in four towns.

    Word by Word: In four towns whole day it-rained.

  6. Rozprával som sa so šiestimi študentmi.

    I talked with six students.

    Word by Word: I-talked myself with six students.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the number and noun in the nominative after a preposition.

    Išiel som tam s dva priatelia.
    Išiel som tam s dvoma priateľmi.

    S takes the instrumental, and both words change: dvoma (or dvomi) priateľmi.

  • Keeping the genitive plural after a preposition.

    Bývali sme tu pred päť rokov.
    Bývali sme tu pred piatimi rokmi.

    Pred takes the instrumental, so the number becomes piatimi and the noun rokmi.

  • Declining the number but not the noun.

    Hovoril som s piatimi priateľov.
    Hovoril som s piatimi priateľmi.

    After a declined number, the noun takes the same case: s piatimi priateľmi.

How It Connects

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

Numbers in CasesLevel 4

Learn This First

Before Numbers in Cases, learn Five and More and Dative, Locative and Instrumental Plural. Numbers from päť decline in the cases. Their case endings resemble the plural noun endings.

Words in This Pattern

dvapäť