Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
In Croatian, numbers 2, 3, and 4 require the noun to be in the Genitive Singular case.
- 1: Use Nominative Singular for 1 (jedan stol).
- 2: Use Genitive Singular for 2, 3, 4 (dva stola).
- 3: Use Genitive Plural for 5 and above (pet stolova).
Number Agreement Table
| Number | Case | Noun Ending (Masc) | Noun Ending (Fem) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Nominative
|
stol
|
žena
|
|
2
|
Genitive Sing.
|
stola
|
žene
|
|
3
|
Genitive Sing.
|
stola
|
žene
|
|
4
|
Genitive Sing.
|
stola
|
žene
|
|
5+
|
Genitive Plural
|
stolova
|
žena
|
Meanings
This rule dictates the grammatical case of a noun when it follows a specific number, ensuring the sentence structure matches Croatian inflection patterns.
Small Quantities
Used for the numbers 2, 3, and 4.
“Dva sata.”
“Tri dana.”
Large Quantities
Used for numbers 5 and higher, requiring the Genitive Plural.
“Pet stolova.”
“Deset knjiga.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Number + Genitive
|
Imam dva stola.
|
|
Negative
|
Number + Genitive
|
Nemam dva stola.
|
|
Question
|
Number + Genitive
|
Imaš li dva stola?
|
|
Large Number
|
Number + Gen. Plural
|
Imam pet stolova.
|
|
Feminine
|
Number + Genitive
|
Imam tri žene.
|
|
Neuter
|
Number + Genitive
|
Imam dva sela.
|
正式程度
Posjedujem dva stola. (General)
Imam dva stola. (General)
Imam dva stola. (General)
Imam dva stola. (General)
The Number Rule Map
2, 3, 4
- Genitive Singular Genitive Sing.
5+
- Genitive Plural Genitive Plural
Case Comparison
按水平分级的例句
Imam dva stola.
I have two tables.
Kupujem tri jabuke.
I am buying three apples.
Vidim četiri psa.
I see four dogs.
Imamo dva sata.
We have two hours.
Ona ima četiri prijatelja.
She has four friends.
Trebam tri olovke.
I need three pens.
Oni jedu dva sendviča.
They are eating two sandwiches.
Imam četiri brata.
I have four brothers.
Kupio sam tri nova automobila.
I bought three new cars.
Četiri velika grada su blizu.
Four big cities are nearby.
Imamo dva važna sastanka.
We have two important meetings.
Potrebna su nam tri nova računala.
We need three new computers.
Dva su se čovjeka pojavila na vratima.
Two men appeared at the door.
Tri su se žene dogovorile o sastanku.
Three women agreed on the meeting.
Četiri su se problema pojavila odjednom.
Four problems appeared at once.
Imamo dva izvrsna rješenja za vas.
We have two excellent solutions for you.
Dva su se mlada umjetnika istaknula na izložbi.
Two young artists stood out at the exhibition.
Tri su se velika projekta uspješno završila.
Three large projects were successfully completed.
Četiri su se različita mišljenja sukobila.
Four different opinions clashed.
Dva su se važna zakona promijenila ove godine.
Two important laws changed this year.
Dva su se drevna rukopisa očuvala do danas.
Two ancient manuscripts have been preserved to this day.
Tri su se ključna faktora uzela u obzir.
Three key factors were taken into account.
Četiri su se nepoznata elementa pojavila u jednadžbi.
Four unknown elements appeared in the equation.
Dva su se povijesna događaja duboko urezala u pamćenje.
Two historical events left a deep mark on memory.
容易混淆
Learners often use the plural form for 2, 3, 4.
Learners use this for small numbers.
Learners use 'dvoje' instead of 'dva'.
常见错误
dva stolovi
dva stola
dva stolova
dva stola
tri žena
tri žene
četiri pas
četiri psa
pet stola
pet stolova
dva prijatelji
dva prijatelja
tri dan
tri dana
dva nova stolovi
dva nova stola
četiri velika gradovi
četiri velika grada
pet velika gradovi
pet velikih gradova
dva su se čovjek pojavili
dva su se čovjeka pojavila
tri su se žene pojavili
tri su se žene pojavile
četiri su se problem pojavili
četiri su se problema pojavila
pet su se ljudi pojavili
pet se ljudi pojavilo
句型
Imam ___ ___.
Trebam ___ ___.
Vidim ___ ___.
Radim ___ ___.
Real World Usage
Dva espressa, molim.
Stižem za dva sata.
Imam dva važna cilja.
Trebam tri karte.
Dva sendviča.
Četiri dana u Zagrebu!
Gender Matters
Don't Pluralize
Listen to Natives
Be Precise
Smart Tips
Pause and think: is it 2, 3, or 4? If yes, add -a.
Change the final -a to -e for 2, 3, 4.
Switch to the Genitive Plural ending.
Ensure the adjective also matches the Genitive case.
发音
Genitive Suffix
The 'a' at the end of 'stola' is short and clear.
Statement
Imam dva stola. ↘
Falling intonation for facts.
记住它
记忆技巧
Two, three, four, add an 'a' to the core!
视觉联想
Imagine a table (stol) with a giant letter 'A' glued to it. You only see this 'A' when you have 2, 3, or 4 tables.
Rhyme
Two, three, four, add an 'a' to the door, five and more, change the score.
Story
I walked into a room with two tables. I saw three chairs. I counted four lamps. But when I saw five tables, I had to change my word to 'stolova'.
Word Web
挑战
Count everything you see in your room right now using the 2-3-4 rule.
文化笔记
Croatians are very precise with numbers. Using the wrong case is immediately noticeable.
The rule is identical, reflecting the shared Slavic roots.
In some coastal areas, pronunciation might swallow the final 'a', but the grammar remains.
The Genitive Singular for 2-4 is a remnant of the Proto-Slavic dual number.
对话开场白
Koliko braće imaš?
Koliko sati radiš?
Koliko prijatelja dolazi?
Koliko projekata vodiš?
日记主题
常见错误
Test Yourself
Imam dva ___.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Dva stolovi.
prijatelja / dva / imam
Četiri (pas)
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
A: Koliko imaš sati? B: Imam ___.
Numbers 2, 3, 4 take Genitive Singular.
Score: /8
练习题
8 exercisesImam dva ___.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Dva stolovi.
prijatelja / dva / imam
Četiri (pas)
Match 2 and 5.
A: Koliko imaš sati? B: Imam ___.
Numbers 2, 3, 4 take Genitive Singular.
Score: /8
常见问题 (8)
Croatian uses cases to show the relationship between words. Numbers govern the case.
1 uses the Nominative case (jedan stol).
5 and above use the Genitive Plural (pet stolova).
The rule is the same, but the endings differ based on gender.
No, that is a common mistake. Always use Genitive Singular.
It applies to cardinal numbers.
Natives will understand you, but it will sound incorrect.
Some nouns have irregular genitive forms, but the rule remains.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
dos mesas
Croatian changes the noun ending; Spanish does not.
deux tables
Croatian uses Genitive case; French uses standard plural.
zwei Tische
Croatian uses Genitive Singular; German uses Plural.
futatsu no teburu
Japanese has no grammatical case or plural.
tawilatan
Arabic dual is a specific noun form; Croatian uses Genitive Singular.
liang ge zhuozi
Chinese lacks inflection entirely.
