Breakdown of Две пятых пастбища принадлежат фермеру.
две
two (f)
пятый
fifth
фермер
farmer
принадлежать
to belong
пастбище
pasture
Questions & Answers about Две пятых пастбища принадлежат фермеру.
Why is the fraction 'two fifths' translated as Две пятых using feminine forms?
In Russian, fractions implicitly refer to the feminine noun часть (part). You are literally saying 'two fifth parts'. Therefore, Две is the feminine form of two, and пятых acts as an adjective describing those unstated parts.
Why does the denominator пятых take the genitive plural ending?
The numerator две requires the following adjective (the ordinal number acting as the denominator) to be in the genitive plural. This follows the standard Russian rule where adjectives after the numbers two, three, and four take the genitive plural.
Why is пастбища in the genitive singular instead of plural?
It is in the genitive singular because it translates to 'of the pasture', referring to one single pasture. The noun is governed by the entire fraction phrase showing what is being divided, not directly by the number two.
Why is the verb принадлежат in the plural form here?
When a subject is a fraction where the numerator is two or greater, the verb is typically in the plural form. This is especially common when the verb comes after the subject and represents a clear state or action, like belonging.
Why is фермеру in the dative case?
The verb принадлежать (to belong to) always requires its object to be in the dative case to indicate who the owner is. Therefore, the nominative фермер becomes the dative фермеру.
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