Breakdown of Мы отмерили четыре девятых самого плодородного луга.
мы
we
четыре
four
девятый
ninth
самый
most
Questions & Answers about Мы отмерили четыре девятых самого плодородного луга.
Why is the denominator девятых in the Genitive plural?
In Russian fractions, the numerator (here, четыре) dictates the case of the denominator, which is an ordinal number acting as an adjective for the implied word часть (part). The rule is that after 2, 3, and 4 in the Nominative or inanimate Accusative, the following adjective goes into the Genitive plural. That is why we use девятых.
If the implied word is the feminine часть, why doesn't четыре change its form to show it is feminine?
Unlike the numbers 1 (одна) and 2 (две), the numbers 3 (три) and 4 (четыре) do not have special feminine forms. They look exactly the same whether they are counting masculine, feminine, or neuter nouns in the Nominative or inanimate Accusative cases.
Why is the phrase самого плодородного луга in the Genitive case?
It is in the Genitive case to express the word "of" (four ninths of the most fertile meadow). Just like with regular numbers, whenever you have a fraction or a quantity, the noun that represents the "whole" from which the part is taken must be in the Genitive case.
What nuance does the prefix от- add to the verb отмерили?