Breakdown of Среди нас двое больных, поэтому мы решили разделиться.
мы
we
нас
us
поэтому
so (therefore)
решить
to decide (perfective)
больной
the patient
двое
two (collective)
среди
among
разделиться
to split up (perf)
Questions & Answers about Среди нас двое больных, поэтому мы решили разделиться.
Why do we use the collective numeral двое here instead of the regular number два?
Collective numerals like двое and трое are strongly preferred over regular numbers when counting people described by an adjective that is acting as a noun. Since больные (sick people) functions as a noun here, двое больных sounds much more natural than два больных.
What case is больных in, and why?
It is in the genitive plural. When a collective numeral like двое is in the nominative case (acting as the subject of the implied verb 'to be'), the noun or adjective that follows it must take the genitive plural.
Could we say Нас двое больных instead of Среди нас двое больных?
Yes, but the meaning changes. Нас двое больных uses the collective numeral directly with the personal pronoun to mean 'There are two of us in total, and we are both sick.' Using Среди нас means 'Among our larger group, two people are sick.'
Why doesn't Среди нас use the preposition между if it translates to 'among us'?
While both can mean 'among' or 'between', среди is used to indicate being part of a larger collective or group. The preposition между is typically used for spatial relationships between specific objects or mutual interactions between parties.
Why does the verb разделиться have a reflexive -ся ending?
The base verb разделить is transitive and means to divide or separate an external object. By adding the reflexive -ся ending, the action happens to the subjects themselves, changing the meaning to 'divide ourselves' or 'split up'.
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