The Genitive of Numbers
To express possession ("of") with regular nouns, we usually change the noun's ending. Bare cardinal numbers (two, three, four, etc.), however, do not change form. Instead, we place the preposition a directly before the number to mark the Genitive case.
| This is the bowling team of five passionate students. | Aceasta este echipa de bowling a cinci studenți pasionați. |
| The score of two friends is perfect. | Scorul a doi prieteni este perfect. |
The Dative of Numbers
Similarly, to express the Dative case (indirect objects, meaning "to" or "for"), bare cardinal numbers take the preposition la.
While using la for the Dative is often colloquial with regular nouns, it is the standard grammar rule for bare numbers. You will also notice the indirect object pronoun le (to them) is frequently used to double the indirect object.
| The coach explains the rule to six clumsy players. | Antrenorul le explică regula la șase jucători stângaci. |
| I sold the bowling tickets to two happy girls. | Le-am vândut biletele de bowling la două fete fericite. |
In Practice
Here are a few more examples combining the Genitive (a) and Dative (la) of numbers with championship vocabulary:
| The man competes at the bowling championship and admires the skill of three colleagues. | Bărbatul se întrece la campionatul de bowling și admiră îndemânarea a trei colegi. |
| The boy aims well, demonstrates the skill to four friends and laughs triumphantly. | Băiatul țintește bine, demonstrează îndemânarea la patru prietene și râde triumfător. |
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