Age, necessity, permission, and possibility
Dative marks the person for whom an age, obligation, permission, or possibility holds.
- лет is the genitive plural of год in age expressions after five and most larger numerals. The dative noun marks the age-holder; the internal numeral phrase follows quantity grammar.
- Construction first: Студе́нту ну́жно is not a missing nominative sentence. Dative is the standard experiencer/obligation frame.
| Construction | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| age | Ребёнку пять лет. | The child is five. |
| age | А́нне два́дцать лет. | Anna is twenty. |
| necessity | Студе́нту ну́жно рабо́тать. | The student needs to work. |
| obligation | Врачу́ на́до позвони́ть. | The doctor needs to call. |
| permission/prohibition | Ребёнку нельзя́ входи́ть. | The child may not enter. |
| possibility | Мне мо́жно уйти́? | May I leave? |
Mini-check
1. Say: Anna is twenty. 2. Say: The student must work.
Apply this next
- Retrieve the rule without looking, then continue to the next lesson.