Compound Numeral Ending in Five or More

Level 4Sounds Like skladenij čislívnik na p'âtʹ í bílʹše

In Ukrainian, the number 5 and above (specifically those ending in 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, and the teens 11–19) require the noun to be in the genitive plural case.

How It Works

This rule applies when the numeral phrase is in the nominative case (as a subject) or the inanimate accusative (as a direct object of a non-living thing).

1. The 'Last Digit' Rule:
The case of the noun is determined by the last word of the compound numeral. If the last word is 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or a word ending in 0 (like 10, 20, 30, 100), the noun must be genitive plural.

  • двадцять п'ять років (twenty-five years)
  • сто десять метрів (one hundred and ten meters)

2. The 'Teen' Exception:
Even though 11, 12, 13, and 14 end in the digits 1–4, they are treated as a single block in Ukrainian. Therefore, 11 through 19 always govern the genitive plural.

3. Morphological Changes:
When moving a noun into the genitive plural, watch for stem changes:

  • Fleeting vowels: вікно (window) → п'ять вікон (five windows).
  • Vowel alternation: школа (school) → шість шкіл (six schools).

4. Adjectives:
If there is an adjective between the number and the noun, the adjective also takes the genitive plural form (e.g., п'ять великих вікон).

Examples (5)

  1. У цьому будинку сорок вісім квартир.

    In this building, there are forty-eight apartments.

    Word by Word: In this building forty eight apartments.

    The number 48 ends in 8 (вісім), so the noun 'квартира' changes to the genitive plural 'квартир'.

  2. Ми купили сто десять олівців для школи.

    We bought one hundred and ten pencils for school.

    Word by Word: We bought hundred ten pencils for school.

    The number 110 ends in 10 (десять), which requires the genitive plural 'олівців'.

  3. На площі зібралося п'ятнадцять чоловік.

    Fifteen people gathered in the square.

    Word by Word: On square gathered fifteen people.

    15 (п'ятнадцять) is a 'teen' number, triggering the genitive plural 'чоловік'.

  4. Він прочитав п'ятдесят шість сторінок.

    He read fifty-six pages.

    Word by Word: He read fifty six pages.

    56 ends in 6 (шість), so 'сторінка' becomes 'сторінок' in the genitive plural.

  5. У класі було двадцять нових комп'ютерів.

    There were twenty new computers in the class.

    Word by Word: In class were twenty new computers.

    The number 20 (двадцять) ends in 0, requiring both the adjective 'нових' and the noun 'комп'ютерів' to be in the genitive plural.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the nominative plural for numbers 5 and above.

    п'ять столи
    п'ять столів

    Learners often apply the standard plural ending, but Ukrainian requires the genitive plural (of many) after 5.

  • Treating 11–14 like numbers ending in 1–4.

    одинадцять студент
    одинадцять студентів

    Even though 11 ends in 'one', the teens (11–19) are a special group that always takes the genitive plural.

  • Applying the rule to numbers ending in 2, 3, or 4.

    двадцять два столів
    двадцять два столи

    Only the last word matters. Since 22 ends in 'two', it follows the rule for 2, 3, and 4 (nominative plural), not the '5 and above' rule.

How It Connects

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Compound Numeral Ending in Five or MoreLevel 4

Learn This First

To understand compound numerals ending in five or more, a learner must first know that the numeral 'five' and higher (up to ten, and multiples of ten) require the genitive plural case. Additionally, they need to understand the general rule for Ukrainian compound numerals: the grammatical agreement with the noun is dictated by the very last word of the number.