Breakdown of Он показал изумруд троим экспертам.
он
he / it (for a masculine noun) / it (for a neuter noun)
показать
to show (perfective)
трое
three (collective)
эксперт
expert
изумруд
emerald
Questions & Answers about Он показал изумруд троим экспертам.
Why use троим instead of трём here?
Троим is the dative form of the collective numeral трое, while трём is the dative of the standard number три. With masculine nouns denoting people, you can use either. The collective numeral just adds a slight nuance that they were a unified group of three.
Why is экспертам in the dative plural? Don't numbers usually force the noun into the genitive?
Numbers only force the noun into the genitive when the number itself is in the nominative or inanimate accusative. When the grammar of the sentence demands an oblique case (like the dative here, for the indirect object being shown something), the number and the noun decline together. Therefore, both take the dative plural.
What case is изумруд in, and why didn't its ending change?
It is in the accusative case because it is the direct object (the thing being shown). Since изумруд is a masculine inanimate noun, its accusative form is identical to its nominative form, so it doesn't get a special ending.
If the group of experts was entirely female, could we still use троим?
No. Collective numerals like трое (and their oblique forms) cannot be used to count groups of women. If you were talking about three women, you would be forced to use the standard cardinal numeral трём instead.
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