Counting Small Quantities: 2, 3, and 4
In Russian, when you count small quantities using the numbers 2, 3, and 4, the noun that follows takes the Genitive singular form.
As a quick reminder, to form the Genitive singular:
- Masculine & Neuter nouns usually take -а or -я (год → года, слово → слова).
- Feminine nouns usually take -ы or -и (собака → собаки, неделя → недели).
The Number Two: два and две
The number "two" changes depending on the grammatical gender of the noun you are counting:
- Use два for masculine and neuter nouns.
- Use две for feminine nouns.
| I have been working here for two years. | Я работаю здесь два года. |
| We have two lessons. | У нас есть два урока. |
Неделя (week) is a feminine noun, so it uses две and takes the Genitive singular ending -и.
| The student has been studying the language for two weeks. | Студент изучает язык две недели. |
The Numbers Three and Four
Unlike "two", the numbers три (three) and четыре (four) do not change for gender. You use the exact same number word for masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns, while still putting the noun in the Genitive singular.
| They have been living there for three years. | Они живут там три года. |
| Anna has three dogs. | У Анны есть три собаки. |
| We have four apples. | У нас есть четыре яблока. |
Combining Amounts
You can easily mix and match these numbers to describe lengths of time or amounts of different things. Just remember to match each noun to its correct Genitive singular form.
| My brother has been working there for three years and two months. | Мой брат работает там три года и два месяца. |
| I see two words and three mistakes. | Я вижу два слова и три ошибки. |
