Thread: Cardinal Numbers

Hi everyone,

I need your help with cardinal numbers. After following this lesson http://bit.ly/ds8uxy, I have some questions.

This summary basically explains it all:
Quantity ends in 1 - As per position in the sentence.
Quantity ends in 2,3,4 - Genitive Singular.
Quantity ends in 5,6,7,8,9,0,-надцать - Genitive Plural
General Quantity - Genitive Case (Singular or Plural depending on context.)
Quantity not specified - Use the case that is appropriate to the sentence position.

Does this apply to all of the cases or just the nominative case? For example, If I wanted to say "I have five black cars" would it be "Я хочу пять чернокожих машин" (where the adjective and noun are genitive plurals, but the number is nominative) or would it be "Я хочу пять чернокожие машины" (where the adjective and noun are inanimate-accusative plurals, and the number is accusative)?

Also, does the adjective always agree with the noun?

I'm finding this very confusing

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Mark

After following this lesson http://bit.ly/ds8uxy

Нормально объясняют, только -надцать надо бы заменить на 11...19. Всё никак не соберусь написать им в corrections.
They explain well, but it wouldn't hurt to replace -надцать with 11...19. Many people mess with them, and don't pay attention to that -надцать.

That would be better to explain like:
1- рубль/машина (Nominative singular)
2,3,4 - рубля/машины (Genitive singular)
others - рублей/машин (plurals)

And yes, you're right, that can be applied to all the cases like машин, долларов, etc.
And yes, the adjective DOES always agree with the noun.

And maybe it's "чёрный" though instead of "чернокожий"? Would you say "I want 5 n(i)gger cars"?

So just to confirm,

The number declines to the position in the sentence and the adjective and noun follow this:

1- рубль/машина (Nominative singular)
2,3,4 - рубля/машины (Genitive singular)
others - рублей/машин (plurals)

Yeah, wait others to say something.
Pay attention that the aforesaid things refer to the ending of the number.
E.g. 176214 sounds like Сто семьдесят шесть тысяч двести четырнадцать машин. Like just 14 машин.

563 машины
285 машин
101 машина

Originally Posted by Eugene-p

And yes, the adjective DOES always agree with the noun.

Even when the noun is in singular genitive, adjective should be put in plural genitive. Две чёрных машины, not две чёрной машины. Also sometimes when the noun is feminine, adjective is nominative plural. I think you can say either две новые книги or две новых книги.

Originally Posted by markhemstead

2,3,4 - рубля/машины (Genitive singular)

Hey, it looks like genitive singular but it is not genitive singular. It is a remnant of double number (in addition to singular and plural).

Originally Posted by Zubr

Even when the noun is in singular genitive, adjective should be put in plural genitive. Две чёрных машины, not две чёрной машины. Also sometimes when the noun is feminine, adjective is nominative plural. I think you can say either две новые книги or две новых книги.

две чёрные машины
но два зеленых огурца

Originally Posted by it-ogo

две чёрные машины
но два зеленых огурца

Why? "Две чёрных машины" is correct too.

Originally Posted by Оля

Why? "Две чёрных машины" is correct too.

"Две зелёных лягушки", "три синих молнии", "четыре красных девицы"... Я долго думал и решил, что всё-таки что-то здесь не так.

А может просто думать нельзя было.

In the accusative case, animacy applies to the adjective ending, yes?

Originally Posted by markhemstead

In the accusative case, animacy applies to the adjective ending, yes?

Err... It is not accusative here. I do not know the rule.