"Both": Оба and Обе
In Russian, the word for "both" has two forms:
- оба for masculine and neuter nouns
- обе for feminine nouns
Like the number two (два / две), оба and обе require the following noun to be in the Genitive singular.
Masculine and Neuter: Оба
Use оба for masculine and neuter nouns.
| I am comparing both options. | Я сравниваю оба варианта. |
| I need to compare both documents. | Мне нужно сравнивать оба документа. |
Feminine: Обе
Use обе for feminine nouns.
| Both sides want to solve the problem. | Обе стороны хотят решить проблему. |
Physical Pairs
You will often use оба and обе for things that naturally come in pairs, such as body parts or clothing. The same gender rules apply.
Neuter (колесо, крыло):
| Both wheels of the bicycle broke. | У велосипеда сломались оба колеса. |
| Both wings of the bird hurt. | У птицы болят оба крыла. |
Feminine (щека, рубашка):
| Both cheeks are red. | Обе щеки красные. |
| I am taking both shirts, this is good quality. | Я беру обе рубашки, это хорошее качество. |
Masculine (рукав):
| He washed both sleeves. | Он постирал оба рукава. |
Your questions are stored by us to improve Elon.io