Compound Numeral Ending in One

Level 4Sounds Like skladenij čislívnik na odin

In Ukrainian, when a compound number (like 21, 51, 101) ends in the word один, the noun that follows must be in the nominative singular. The numeral один must also agree with the noun's gender.

How It Works

When using compound numerals (numbers made of two or more words) that end in the digit 1, specific grammatical rules apply to ensure you become proficient in Ukrainian agreement:

  • Noun and Adjective Case: The noun and any modifying adjectives must be in the singular. In the nominative case, use the nominative singular. For example: двадцять один новий студент.
  • Gender Agreement: The final word один must match the gender of the noun:
    - Masculine: двадцять один стіл
    - Feminine: тридцять одна книжка
    - Neuter: сорок одне вікно
  • Verb Agreement: In formal Ukrainian, the verb (predicate) must stay in the singular form to match the singular subject.
  • Animate Accusative: When the phrase is a direct object and the noun is animate, the entire phrase (numeral + noun) shifts to the Genitive Singular: Я бачу двадцять одного студента.
  • Oblique Cases: Unlike other numerals, compound numerals ending in 'один' maintain the singular form across all cases (Genitive, Dative, etc.). For example, in the Dative: двадцяти одному студенту (not plural).
  • Pluralia Tantum Exception: If a noun only exists in the plural (like окуляри 'glasses'), the numeral takes the plural form одні: двадцять одні окуляри.

Examples (5)

  1. На конференцію приїхав тридцять один делегат.

    Thirty-one delegates arrived at the conference.

    Word by Word: At conference arrived thirty one delegate.

    Note that the verb 'приїхав' and the noun 'делегат' are both in the masculine singular form to agree with 'один'.

  2. У цій книзі сто одна цікава сторінка.

    There are one hundred and one interesting pages in this book.

    Word by Word: In this book hundred one interesting page.

    The adjective 'цікава' and the noun 'сторінка' both remain in the singular form.

  3. Я бачу двадцять одного студента.

    I see twenty-one students.

    Word by Word: I see twenty one student.

    For animate nouns in the accusative, the phrase takes the genitive singular form: 'одного студента'.

  4. Ми не маємо сорока одного підручника.

    We don't have forty-one textbooks.

    Word by Word: We not have forty one textbook.

    In the genitive, both the numeral and the noun remain in the singular.

  5. Для експерименту було придбано двадцять одні ваги.

    Twenty-one scales were purchased for the experiment.

    Word by Word: For experiment was purchased twenty one-plural scales.

    Because 'ваги' (scales) is a pluralia tantum noun, we use the plural form 'одні'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a plural noun or adjective after a compound numeral ending in 1.

    двадцять один нові студенти
    двадцять один новий студент

    In Ukrainian, the final 'один' forces the noun and any accompanying adjectives into the singular form.

  • Using a plural verb with a compound numeral ending in 1.

    Прийшли двадцять один студент.
    Прийшов двадцять один студент.

    Standard Ukrainian requires singular verb agreement for subjects ending in 'один'. Plural agreement is considered a stylistic error.

  • Confusing 11 (одинадцять) with compound numerals like 21.

    одинадцять студент
    одинадцять студентів

    The number 11 is a single word, not a compound numeral ending in 'один'. It follows the rule for 5 and above, requiring the genitive plural.

How It Connects

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

Compound Numeral Ending in OneLevel 4

Learn This First

To learn compound numerals ending in 'один', a learner must first understand the unique agreement properties of the numeral 'one' itself, which behaves like an adjective. Additionally, they need to be familiar with the general principle that Ukrainian compound numerals follow the grammatical rules of their final element, and how singular subjects typically agree with their predicates.

Words in This Pattern

один