Questions & Answers about Мне нужны две штуки.
Why is it мне, not я?
Because Russian uses a different structure for to need.
The pattern is:
- кому? + нужен / нужна / нужно / нужны + что?
Literally, Мне нужны две штуки is closer to:
- To me are-needed two items
So мне is the dative case of я, meaning to me.
Compare:
- Мне нужен чай. — I need tea.
- Мне нужна машина. — I need a car.
- Мне нужны деньги. — I need money.
So even though English says I need..., Russian says something more like To me, ... is needed.
Why is it нужны, not нужно or нужен?
Because нужны agrees with the thing that is needed, and here that thing is две штуки, which is treated as plural.
The adjective-like word нужен changes depending on gender and number:
- нужен — masculine singular
- нужна — feminine singular
- нужно — neuter singular
- нужны — plural
Examples:
- Мне нужен билет. — I need a ticket.
- Мне нужна ручка. — I need a pen.
- Мне нужно место. — I need a place.
- Мне нужны две штуки. — I need two things/pieces.
So нужны is plural because there are two of them.
Why is it две, not два?