Breakdown of На столе лежит коробка с двадцатью маркерами и пятнадцатью скрепками.
и
and
стол
table / desk
на
on, at / by (transport) / to (a place) / to (in answer to)
с
with (also со)
лежать
to lie, be lying down
пятнадцать
fifteen
двадцать
twenty
коробка
box (cardboard)
маркер
marker
скрепка
paperclip
Questions & Answers about На столе лежит коробка с двадцатью маркерами и пятнадцатью скрепками.
Why do двадцатью and пятнадцатью end in -ью?
These numbers are in the Instrumental case because of the preposition с (with). Numbers from 5 to 30 that end in a soft sign decline exactly like feminine nouns ending in a soft sign (the 3rd declension, like тетрадь). You simply keep the soft sign and add -ю at the end.
I thought numbers 5 and above require the Genitive plural. Why are маркерами and скрепками in the Instrumental plural here?
This is a crucial rule for Russian numbers! The 'number + Genitive' rule only applies when the number is in the Nominative or inanimate Accusative case. If the sentence forces the number into any other case (like the Instrumental here, because of с), the noun stops being Genitive and instead matches the number's case. Therefore, both the numbers and the nouns are in the Instrumental plural.
What if I wanted to say 'with fifteen new paperclips'? What case would the adjective take?
The adjective would also take the Instrumental plural to match everything else in the phrase. You would say с пятнадцатью новыми скрепками. When numbers are in oblique cases, the number, the adjective, and the noun all agree in case.
Why use лежит (lies) instead of just saying 'there is a box'?
Russian frequently uses verbs of position like лежит (lies), стоит (stands), or висит (hangs) to describe where things are located, rather than a generic verb like 'to be'. A box is typically considered a wide, horizontal object, so it 'lies' on the table.
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