Numbers 2, 3, and 4

The Rule for 2, 3, and 4

Croatian has a special counting rule for the numbers two, three, and four. When you use these numbers to state a quantity, the noun that follows is NOT in the plural. Instead, it must be in the genitive singular.

Let's look at masculine nouns first. You form the masculine genitive singular by adding -a to the end of the word. For example, mjesec (month) becomes mjeseca, and jezik (language) becomes jezika.

This exact same rule applies when counting three (tri) or four (četiri) of a masculine noun.

The Number Two and Feminine Nouns

The numbers three and four stay the same for all genders. However, the number two changes depending on the gender of the noun you are counting.

You use dva for masculine and neuter nouns, but you must use the special form dvije for feminine nouns. Remember that for feminine nouns (which usually end in -a), the genitive singular is formed by changing the final -a to -e. For example, godina (year) becomes godine, and osoba (person) becomes osobe.

Three and Four with Feminine Nouns

When counting three or four of a feminine noun, the number itself doesn't change, but the noun still takes the genitive singular ending -e.

For example, rečenica (sentence) becomes rečenice, and stranica (page) becomes stranice.