Questions & Answers about Mamy dwadzieścia owiec.
Why do we use owiec instead of the regular plural owce?
In Polish, numbers from 5 upwards (like dwadzieścia) act a bit like quantities and require the following noun to be in the genitive plural case. That is why we use the genitive plural owiec instead of the nominative plural owce.
How is the word owiec formed from the singular word owca?
For most feminine nouns ending in -a, the genitive plural is formed by just dropping that final -a. However, dropping the -a from owca leaves the awkward consonant ending -owc. To make it easier to pronounce, Polish inserts the vowel -e- before the final consonant, giving us owiec.
The verb mamy usually takes the accusative case. Why didn't the number dwadzieścia change its ending?
You are right that mieć (to have) requires the accusative case for its direct object. However, for most numbers 5 and above, the accusative form is exactly the same as the nominative (dictionary) form. Therefore, the number itself doesn't change, even though it is the direct object of the sentence.
Does Polish use the same word for singular and plural 'sheep' like English does?
No, Polish treats it like a regular countable noun. While English uses 'sheep' for both one and many, Polish uses owca for a single sheep, owce for a few sheep (like two, three, or four), and owiec for five or more.
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