Five and above: the digit and teen rules
In nominative and many inanimate accusative quantity phrases, five-or-more selects genitive plural.
- The numeral phrase as a whole may be accusative while the noun has the genitive plural form: Я ви́жу пять столо́в. Animate two-to-four phrases have an additional accusative pattern in 2.07.
- Oblique-case warning: After к, с, о, and other oblique-case environments, decline both the numeral and a plural noun: к пяти́ стола́м, с пятью́ кни́гами.
| Number | Noun form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 5-20 | genitive plural | пять столо́в; двена́дцать книг |
| ends in 5-9 or 0 | genitive plural | два́дцать пять о́кон |
| ends in 2-4, not 12-14 | two-to-four count form | два́дцать три кни́ги |
| ends in 1, not 11 | singular agreement | два́дцать одна́ кни́га |
| 11-14 | genitive plural regardless of last digit | сто двена́дцать музе́ев |
Mini-check
1. Choose: 121 кни́га / кни́ги / книг. 2. Choose: 112 музе́й / музе́я / музе́ев.
Apply this next
- Retrieve the rule without looking, then continue to the next lesson.