Questions & Answers about Oba bilety są w torbie.
What does oba mean here, and how is it different from dwa?
Oba means both.
So oba bilety is not just two tickets in a general sense; it means both tickets, usually the two specific ones that matter in the context.
Compare:
- dwa bilety = two tickets
- oba bilety = both tickets
In many situations, both are possible, but oba sounds more like you are talking about a known pair.
Why is it oba with bilety? Why not obie or obaj?
Because the form of both changes depending on the type of noun it goes with.
Here are the main forms:
- obaj = with masculine personal nouns, especially groups of men, e.g. obaj studenci
- obie = with feminine nouns, e.g. obie torby
- oba = with masculine non-personal nouns and neuter nouns, e.g. oba bilety, oba okna
Bilet is a masculine inanimate noun, so oba is the correct form.
Why is it bilety, not biletów?