Breakdown of У меня есть двое старых часов.
я
I
старый
old
часы
watch / clock
у
at, by
есть
is, there is, to have
двое
two (collective)
Questions & Answers about У меня есть двое старых часов.
Why do we use the collective numeral двое here instead of the standard number два?
The word for a watch or clock, часы, is a plural-only noun in Russian, much like "scissors" in English. When counting plural-only nouns with numbers from two to four, you must use collective numerals like двое, трое, and четверо.
What case are старых and часов in, and why?
They are in the Genitive Plural. In this sentence, двое is in the Nominative case because it acts as the subject of есть (is/exists). When a collective numeral is in the Nominative case, the adjectives and nouns that follow it take the Genitive Plural.
The word часы can also mean "hours". How do we know it means "watches" in this sentence?
The choice of number gives it away! If you wanted to say "two old hours", you would use the regular number два and say два старых часа, because "hour" (час) is a normal noun with a singular form. By using the collective numeral двое, it tells us we are dealing with the physical object (watch/clock), which only exists in the plural.
Should the verb есть be plural since the sentence is talking about multiple watches?
No, in the standard Russian structure for possession (у меня есть), the word есть does not change to match plural objects. It remains exactly as есть whether you have one item or many.
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