два/три/чотири + Nominative Plural
Numerals 2, 3, And 4 with Nominative Plural
In Ukrainian, the numerals два/дві (2), три (3), and чотири (4) require the noun to be in the nominative plural case. This also applies to compound numbers ending in these digits (e.g., 22, 33, 44), but not the 'teens' (11-14).
How It Works
When counting with 2, 3, and 4, follow these specific rules:
- Noun Case: The noun must be in the nominative plural. For example: три столи (three tables), not три стола.
- Gender Agreement for '2': Use два with masculine and neuter nouns, and дві with feminine nouns.
- Stress Shift: A unique feature of this pattern is that the stress often shifts to the final syllable of the noun, a remnant of the historical dual number. For example, the usual plural of 'sister' is се́стри, but 'two sisters' is дві сестри́.
- Adjectives: When an adjective describes the noun, feminine adjectives stay in the nominative plural. Masculine and neuter adjectives can be either nominative plural or genitive plural (the genitive plural is very common in formal writing).
- Compound Numbers: This rule applies to any large number ending in 2, 3, or 4 (like 22, 104, 503), provided the last word is not part of the 11-14 range.
Examples (4)
- У мене є два брати і дві сестри.
I have two brothers and two sisters.
Word by Word: At me is two brothers and two sisters.
Note how 'два' is used for masculine 'брати' and 'дві' for feminine 'сестри'. Both nouns are in the nominative plural.
- На столі лежать три нові книги.
Three new books are lying on the table.
Word by Word: On table lie three new books.
The numeral 'три' triggers the nominative plural for both the adjective 'нові' and the noun 'книги'.
- Ми чекали двадцять чотири години.
We waited twenty-four hours.
Word by Word: We waited twenty four hours.
Even in compound numbers, the final digit 'чотири' determines that the noun 'години' must be nominative plural.
- Він купив два великих столи.
He bought two large tables.
Word by Word: He bought two large tables.
For masculine nouns, the adjective (великих) often appears in the genitive plural, while the noun (столи) remains nominative plural.
Common Mistakes
Using the genitive singular (Russian influence).
три столатри столиIn Ukrainian, 2, 3, and 4 take the nominative plural (столи), not the genitive singular (стола).
Using 'два' for feminine nouns.
два жінкидві жінкиThe numeral '2' must agree in gender: 'два' for masculine/neuter, 'дві' for feminine.
Applying this rule to numbers 11-14.
дванадцять стільцідванадцять стільцівNumbers 11 through 14 are treated as a block and follow the rule for 5 and above, requiring the genitive plural.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn the use of numerals 2, 3, and 4, learners need to be comfortable forming the nominative plural of nouns and identifying noun gender, as the numeral 'two' changes based on the gender of the noun it modifies.
- Basic noun plural
To use numerals with the nominative plural, the learner must first know how to form the basic nominative plural of nouns.
Level 1 - Masculine noun gender
Understanding noun gender is necessary because the numeral 'two' has gender-specific forms (два for masculine/neuter and дві for feminine).
Level 1 - Feminine noun gender
Understanding noun gender is necessary because the numeral 'two' has gender-specific forms (два for masculine/neuter and дві for feminine).
Level 1
Related Patterns
- п'ять і більше + Genitive PluralNumerals 5 and Above with Genitive Plural
This is the contrasting rule for numbers 5 and above, which require the genitive plural instead of the nominative plural.
Level 2 - одинNumeral Один Agreement
The number 1 follows its own agreement rules, acting like an adjective that matches the noun in gender, case, and number.
Level 2 - Compound Numerals by Final Element
Explains how the very last word in a large number determines the case of the noun that follows.
Level 2 - Adjectives after Numerals
Provides more detail on why adjectives sometimes take the genitive plural even when the noun is nominative plural.
Level 2 - Collective Numerals
Collective numerals like 'двоє' or 'троє' govern the genitive plural, offering an alternative way to count groups.
Level 4
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice два/три/чотири + Nominative Plural in Bubblegum
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