Questions & Answers about Mam tu dwie kaczki i cztery myszy.
Why do we use dwie instead of dwa?
The number two changes depending on the gender of the noun it counts. Because kaczka (duck) is a feminine noun, we must use the feminine form dwie. You use dwa for masculine and neuter nouns.
The verb mieć (to have) takes the Accusative case. Are dwie kaczki and cztery myszy in the Accusative plural?
Yes, they are! For numbers 2, 3, and 4 used with animals, objects, and women, the Accusative plural looks exactly the same as the Nominative plural. So the forms you use as the basic subject of a sentence work perfectly as the object here.
Why is the plural of mysz (mouse) formed as myszy instead of taking a standard ending?
Most feminine nouns end in -a, like kaczka, which drops the -a and adds -i or -y to become kaczki. However, mysz is one of the few feminine nouns that ends in a consonant. These nouns usually form their plural by just adding -y or -i to the end, resulting in myszy.
Does cztery change for feminine nouns like dwie does?