Compound Numeral Ending in Two, Three, or Four

Level 4Sounds Like skladenij čislívnik na dva-tri-čotiri

In Ukrainian, when a number ends in 2, 3, or 4 (like 22, 53, or 104), the noun that follows must be in the nominative plural. This is a key difference from Russian, which uses the genitive singular.

How It Works

This pattern applies to all compound numbers ending in 2, 3, or 4, provided the number is in the nominative case (or the inanimate accusative).

Key Rules:

  • The Last Digit Rule: Only the final word matters. For example, in двадцять два (22), the word два dictates the noun form.
  • The Nominative Plural: Unlike the pattern for 5 and above, which requires the genitive plural, these numbers take the nominative plural.
  • Stress Shift: While the form is nominative plural, the stress often shifts to the stem, matching the old dual number form (which looks like the genitive singular). For example, the standard plural is брати́, but with these numerals, it becomes два бра́ти.

Important Exceptions:

  • The Teens (11-14): The numbers 11, 12, 13, and 14 are treated as single units ending in a 'ten' sound. They govern the genitive plural (e.g., чотирнадцять столів).
  • Nouns in -ин-: Nouns that lose the suffix -ин- in the plural (like киянин) take the genitive singular (два киянина).
  • Paired Body Parts: Words like око (eye) or плече (shoulder) often take the genitive singular (два ока).

Adjectives:
When an adjective is included, feminine nouns keep the nominative plural for both words (дві великі хати). However, for masculine and neuter nouns, the adjective typically takes the genitive plural form, while the noun itself remains in the nominative plural (e.g., два нових столи).

Examples (4)

  1. На столі лежать двадцять дві книжки.

    There are twenty-two books lying on the table.

    Word by Word: On table lie twenty two books.

    The numeral ends in 'дві' (2), so 'книжки' is in the nominative plural.

  2. У класі тридцять три студенти.

    There are thirty-three students in the class.

    Word by Word: In class thirty three students.

    The numeral ends in 'три' (3), governing the nominative plural 'студенти'.

  3. Він купив сто чотири олівці.

    He bought one hundred and four pencils.

    Word by Word: He bought hundred four pencils.

    Since 'олівці' is inanimate, the accusative matches the nominative plural after 'чотири'.

  4. Йому виповнилося сорок два роки.

    He turned forty-two years old.

    Word by Word: To him fulfilled forty two years.

    The word 'роки' is the nominative plural of 'рік', used here after the digit 2.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the genitive singular (Russian influence).

    двадцять два студента
    двадцять два студенти

    Learners often use the genitive singular 'студента' because it is correct in Russian, but Ukrainian requires the nominative plural 'студенти'.

  • Applying the rule to the numbers 12, 13, and 14.

    чотирнадцять стільці
    чотирнадцять стільців

    Numbers 11-14 are exceptions and always take the genitive plural, not the nominative plural.

How It Connects

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

Compound Numeral Ending in Two, Three, or FourLevel 4

Learn This First

To understand how compound numerals ending in 2, 3, and 4 work, you first need to know the basic rule for the simple numerals 2, 3, and 4 (which take the nominative plural). You also need to understand the general rule for compound numerals in Ukrainian: that the entire number's grammatical behavior is determined by its final word.

Words in This Pattern

дватричотири