Declension of Cardinal Numbers
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Numbers 1-4 behave like adjectives and change their endings to match the noun's gender and case, while 5+ stay mostly frozen.
- Number 1 (jedan) matches gender, number, and case perfectly: 'jedan stol', 'jedna knjiga'.
- Numbers 2, 3, and 4 have special 'paucal' forms and specific (though rare) case declensions.
- Numbers 5 and above are indeclinable but force the following noun into the Genitive Plural.
Declension of Numbers 1, 2, 3, 4
| Case | 1 (Masc/Neut) | 1 (Fem) | 2 (Masc/Neut) | 2 (Fem) | 3 & 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Nominative
|
jedan / jedno
|
jedna
|
dva
|
dvije
|
tri / četiri
|
|
Genitive
|
jednog(a)
|
jedne
|
dvaju
|
dviju
|
triju / četiriju
|
|
Dative
|
jednom(u)
|
jednoj
|
dvama
|
dvjema
|
trima / četirima
|
|
Accusative
|
jednog / jedan
|
jednu
|
dva
|
dvije
|
tri / četiri
|
|
Vocative
|
jedan
|
jedna
|
dva
|
dvije
|
tri / četiri
|
|
Locative
|
jednom(u)
|
jednoj
|
dvama
|
dvjema
|
trima / četirima
|
|
Instrumental
|
jednim
|
jednom
|
dvama
|
dvjema
|
trima / četirima
|
Colloquial vs. Formal Usage (2-4)
| Case | Formal Form | Colloquial (Spoken) |
|---|---|---|
|
Instrumental
|
s dvama prijateljima
|
s dva prijatelja
|
|
Dative
|
prema trima ženama
|
prema tri žene
|
|
Locative
|
o četirima temama
|
o četiri teme
|
Meanings
The system by which cardinal numbers in Croatian change their form to reflect the grammatical case, gender, and number of the nouns they quantify.
Number 1 (Jedan)
Functions exactly like a descriptive adjective (e.g., 'novi'). It must match the noun in gender, number, and case.
“Imam jedan problem.”
“Vidim jednu djevojku.”
Numbers 2, 3, 4 (Paucal)
These numbers have distinct forms for masculine/neuter vs. feminine and technically decline through all cases, though oblique cases are often replaced by nominative in speech.
“Vidim dva psa.”
“Sreo sam tri prijatelja.”
Numbers 5 and above
These numbers do not change their form (indeclinable) but they trigger the Genitive Plural in the noun and any accompanying adjectives.
“Imam pet mačaka.”
“Kupio sam deset jabuka.”
Reference Table
| Number Group | Noun Case | Example (Masc) | Example (Fem) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 (Jedan)
|
Matches Number
|
jedan stol
|
jedna stolica
|
|
2, 3, 4
|
Genitive Singular / Nom Plural
|
dva stola
|
dvije stolice
|
|
5 - 20
|
Genitive Plural
|
pet stolova
|
pet stolica
|
|
21, 31, etc.
|
Matches '1'
|
dvadeset jedan stol
|
dvadeset jedna stolica
|
|
22, 23, 24
|
Matches '2, 3, 4'
|
dvadeset dva stola
|
dvadeset dvije stolice
|
|
100, 1000
|
Genitive Plural
|
sto stolova
|
tisuću stolica
|
طيف الرسمية
Putujem s četirima kolegama. (travel/work)
Putujem s četiri kolege. (travel/work)
Idem s četiri kolege. (travel/work)
Idem s četvoricom. (travel/work)
The Number Hierarchy
1 (The Adjective)
- jedan/jedna/jedno fully declines
2, 3, 4 (The Paucal)
- dva/dvije Genitive Singular noun
5+ (The Boss)
- pet, šest... Genitive Plural noun
Masculine vs. Feminine 'Two'
Which Case Should I Use?
Does the number end in 1?
Does it end in 2, 3, or 4?
Common Number Phrases
Time
- • u jedan sat
- • u dva sata
- • u pet sati
Money
- • jedan euro
- • dva eura
- • pet eura
People
- • jedan čovjek
- • dva čovjeka
- • pet ljudi
أمثلة حسب المستوى
Imam jedan auto.
I have one car.
Ona ima jednu sestru.
She has one sister.
To su dva brata.
Those are two brothers.
Imam pet kuna.
I have five kunas.
Idem u kino s jednim prijateljem.
I am going to the cinema with one friend.
Kupio sam tri jabuke.
I bought three apples.
U razredu je deset učenika.
There are ten students in the class.
Vidio sam dvije djevojke.
I saw two girls.
Razgovarali smo o dvama prijedlozima.
We talked about two proposals.
On živi u ovoj zgradi već dvadeset jednu godinu.
He has lived in this building for twenty-one years.
Donio sam poklone za četiri prijatelja.
I brought gifts for four friends.
Tamo je bilo stotinu ljudi.
There were a hundred people there.
Surađujemo s trima različitim tvrtkama.
We cooperate with three different companies.
Svih pet natjecatelja je dobilo nagradu.
All five contestants received a prize.
Nedostaju mi još dvije tisuće eura.
I am still missing two thousand euros.
Pristupili smo četirima novim projektima.
We approached four new projects.
Upravni odbor se sastoji od petorice članova.
The board consists of five (male) members.
U objema se knjigama spominje isti lik.
The same character is mentioned in both books.
Vrijednost dionica je porasla za tri četvrtine.
The stock value rose by three quarters.
Bili su okruženi tisućama prosvjednika.
They were surrounded by thousands of protesters.
Ovaj se fenomen očituje u dvama oprečnim vidovima.
This phenomenon manifests in two opposite aspects.
Svojim je četirima kćerima ostavio bogato nasljedstvo.
He left a rich inheritance to his four daughters.
U onim dvjema sobama zatekosmo neopisiv nered.
In those two rooms, we found indescribable mess.
Podijelili su plijen na tri jednaka dijela.
They divided the loot into three equal parts.
سهل الخلط
Learners use 'dva' for a mixed group of people.
'Sto' is a number, 'Stotina' is a noun.
Using Genitive Plural for the number 4.
أخطاء شائعة
dva žene
dvije žene
pet jabuke
pet jabuka
jedan pivo
jedno pivo
tri stol
tri stola
s jedan prijatelj
s jednim prijateljem
dvadeset dva ljudi
dvadeset dvoje ljudi
u dva sati
u dva sata
vidim tri dječaci
vidim tri dječaka
o tri žene
o trima ženama
dvadeset pet stol
dvadeset pet stolova
s dvije prijateljima
s dvama prijateljima
stotinu ljudi su došli
stotinu ljudi je došlo
u oba slučaja
u obama slučajevima
četiriju žene
četiriju žena
أنماط الجُمل
Imam ___ (number) ___ (noun).
Idem na kavu s ___ (number) ___ (noun).
U sobi je bilo ___ (number) ___ (noun).
Razgovarali smo o ___ (number) ___ (noun).
Real World Usage
Molim vas dvije kifle i jedan kruh.
Radio sam u trima različitim sektorima.
Vidimo se za 5 minuta.
Trebam sobu za četiri osobe.
Više od tisuću ljudi prosvjedovalo je danas.
Hrvatska vodi s dva gola razlike.
The 'Last Digit' Rule
Feminine 'Two'
Spoken Shortcut
The Euro Transition
Smart Tips
Just look at the very last digit. If it's 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 0, use the Genitive Plural 'a' sound.
Check if it's two men (dva), two women (dvije), or one of each (dvoje).
Remember that 'jedno' is the form for neuter nouns like pivo, vino, or dijete.
Use the full declension for 2, 3, and 4 to show high-level proficiency.
النطق
Genitive Plural 'a'
The 'a' in Genitive Plural (after 5+) is always long and accented.
Number 1 Stress
The stress is on the first syllable: JÈ-dan.
Dvije vs Dva
The 'ije' in 'dvije' is a diphthong; keep it smooth, not two separate syllables.
Counting Intonation
Jedan ↑, dva ↑, tri ↑, četiri ↓.
Rising pitch for continuation, falling for the end of the list.
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
1 is a Mirror (reflects the noun), 2-4 is a Pair (needs a singular-ish look), 5 is a Crowd (needs the plural 'a').
ربط بصري
Imagine the number 1 as a chameleon changing color to match a noun. Imagine the number 5 as a giant vacuum cleaner sucking all the vowels out of a noun and replacing them with a long 'A' (Genitive Plural).
Rhyme
Jedan, dva, tri, četiri — padež se širi; Pet i više — genitiv piše!
Story
A man has 'jedan' dog (Nominative). He meets a friend with 'dva' dog-a (Genitive Singular). They go to a park where there are 'pet' dog-ova (Genitive Plural). The more dogs there are, the more the word 'dog' stretches out!
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Look around your room. Count objects using 1, 2, and 5. For example: 'jedan prozor', 'dva prozora', 'pet prozora'. Do this for 5 different items.
ملاحظات ثقافية
Standard Croatian insists on the declension of 2, 3, and 4 in all cases, but this is rarely heard in the streets of Zagreb or Split.
In Dalmatia, you might hear 'dva' used for feminine nouns more often than in the north, though it's still considered non-standard.
In formal contracts, numbers are always written out and fully declined to avoid ambiguity.
Croatian number declension stems from the Proto-Slavic system, which originally had a 'Dual' number for pairs.
بدايات محادثة
Koliko imaš braće i sestara?
Koliko košta ova kava?
S koliko si ljudi jučer razgovarao?
Možeš li nabrojati tri najvažnije stvari u tvom životu?
مواضيع للكتابة اليومية
أخطاء شائعة
Test Yourself
Vidio sam ___ žene.
Imam pet ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
On ima jedan sestra.
Imam jedan problem. -> Imam ___ ___.
Select the number that forces the noun into Genitive Plural.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Putujem s ___ kolegama.
A: Koliko košta karta? B: Košta ___ (21) euro.
Score: /8
تمارين تطبيقية
8 exercisesVidio sam ___ žene.
Imam pet ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
On ima jedan sestra.
Imam jedan problem. -> Imam ___ ___.
Select the number that forces the noun into Genitive Plural.
1:___, 2:___, 5:___
Putujem s ___ kolegama.
A: Koliko košta karta? B: Košta ___ (21) euro.
Score: /8
الأسئلة الشائعة (8)
This is due to the 'paucal' rule. In Croatian, numbers 2, 3, and 4 require the noun to be in the Genitive Singular (for masculine/neuter) or Nominative Plural (for feminine).
It is for all feminine nouns, including objects like 'knjiga' (book) or 'stolica' (chair). So, `dvije knjige`.
In daily conversation, no. Most Croatians say `s dva prijatelja`. However, you will see `dvama` in books, news, and legal documents.
The number zero (`nula`) behaves like a feminine noun and usually triggers the Genitive Plural: `nula bodova` (zero points).
You only decline the last part. `Sto jedan`, `Sto jednog`, etc. The noun agrees with the very last digit.
Adjectives usually take the Genitive Singular ending `-og(a)` for masculine/neuter and Nominative Plural `-e` for feminine.
It is `pet sati`. 5+ triggers Genitive Plural. `Dva sata` uses Genitive Singular.
The word `čovjek` is irregular. Its plural is `ljudi`. After 2, 3, 4 we use `čovjeka`, but after 5+ we use `ljudi`.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
one, two, five
English has no case agreement for numbers.
один, два, пять
Russian 'два' also has a feminine form 'две', just like Croatian 'dvije'.
eins, zwei, fünf
German nouns don't change case just because the number is 5 or higher.
uno, dos, cinco
Spanish lacks the paucal/plural noun case distinction.
واحد, اثنان, خمسة
Arabic numbers 3-10 have 'reverse gender' agreement, which Croatian does not.
一, 二, 五
Chinese uses classifiers; Croatian uses case endings.
