Collective numerals
In short
| mixed / children | masc. / neut. | fem. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | dvoje dece | dva brata | dve sestre |
| 3 | troje ljudi | tri | tri |
| 4 | četvoro gostiju | četiri | četiri |
| 5+ | petoro, šestoro, sedmoro, osmoro | pet… | pet… |
| both | oboje | oba | obe |
Collective + genitive plural; verb 3sg, past -o: Došlo je troje gostiju.
B1 · Lesson 11 · Zbirni brojevi: dvoje, troje, četvoro
The full explanation, from the lesson that teaches this rule
You already count with dva and dve: dva brata (two brothers), dve sestre (two sisters). But how do you say "two people" when one is a man and the other a woman? Neither dva nor dve fits, because each belongs to one gender. Serbian solves this with a separate set of numbers made for mixed groups: dvoje, troje, četvoro and so on.
When you need them
- a group of men and women together: troje studenata = three students (for example, two men and a woman)
- children, whatever their sex: dvoje dece = two children
- the -et- neuters from lesson 3 and words for young people or animals: dvoje mladih = a young couple, petoro unučadi = five grandchildren
- counting people when you do not name them: Bilo nas je šestoro. = There were six of us.
These words are called collective numerals (zbirni brojevi).
The forms
| number | collective | example |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | dvoje | dvoje dece — two children |
| 3 | troje | troje ljudi — three people |
| 4 | četvoro | četvoro gostiju — four guests |
| 5 | petoro | petoro unučadi — five grandchildren |
| 6 | šestoro | Bilo nas je šestoro. — There were six of us. |
| 7 | sedmoro | sedmoro rođaka — seven relatives |
| 8 | osmoro | osmoro prijatelja — eight friends |
| 10 | desetoro | desetoro rođaka — ten relatives |
From four upwards the pattern is simply the number's stem plus -oro: pet → petoro, šest → šestoro, osam → osmoro. The series is open: any small number can be made this way.
The noun after it: genitive plural
After a collective numeral the noun is always in the genitive plural — even after dvoje, troje and četvoro. This is the big difference from dva, tri, četiri, which take the special counting form: compare dva brata but dvoje dece, tri studenta (three male students) but troje studenata (three students, men and women).
The verb after it: neuter singular
A group counted this way is treated as one neuter "it", so the verb is normally third person singular, and in the past the participle ends in -o: Troje dece se igra ispred zgrade. (Three children are playing), Dvoje studenata je dobilo stipendiju. (Two students got a scholarship).
Do not let the English plural pull you into su and -li. With dvoje, troje, četvoro, petoro… + noun, write je … -o: Došlo je troje gostiju, not došli su.
"Both": oba, obe, oboje
"Both" works exactly like "two", with the same three-way choice. Learn these three forms as they are:
| form | used for | example |
|---|---|---|
| oba | two men, or two masculine or neuter things (like dva) | oba brata — both brothers |
| obe | two women, or two feminine things (like dve) | obe sestre — both sisters |
| oboje | a man and a woman together (like dvoje) | Oboje su penzioneri. — They are both retired. |
Oba and obe take the same noun form as dva and dve: oba brata, oba deteta, obe bake. Oboje most often stands alone for a couple, a man and a woman: Moji roditelji su oboje penzioneri.
Oboje on its own, meaning "both of them" with no noun after it, takes a plural verb: Oboje su zakasnili. (They were both late), Oboje su mi rekli. (They both told me). The je … -o rule above is for a collective numeral followed by a noun.
Check what you read
6 of the 15 questions this lesson asks in the app. Type the form or pick the answer.
Imaju ___ dece, sina i ćerku.
U kolima je bilo ___ ljudi: dva muškarca i jedna žena.
Za stolom sedi ___ gostiju.
Imaju troje(dete).
Na proslavi je bilo četvoro(gost).
Stiglo je dvoje(student).
Examples from the course
The marked word is where the rule applies. Press play to hear the sentence.
Obe bake dolaze na rođendan.
Both grandmothers are coming to the birthday party.
Dvoje studenata je dobilo stipendiju.
Two students got a scholarship.
Za stolom sedi četvoro gostiju.
Four guests are sitting at the table.
Pozvaćemo osmoro prijatelja na večeru.
We'll invite eight friends to dinner.
Moji roditelji su oboje penzioneri.
My parents are both retired.
Oboje su zakasnili na sastanak.
They were both late for the meeting.
Domaćini su oboje nazdravili gostima.
The hosts both raised a toast to the guests.
Četvoro komšija se okupilo u dvorištu.
Four neighbours gathered in the yard.
Troje dece se igra ispred zgrade.
Three children are playing in front of the building.
Na žurci nas je bilo šestoro.
There were six of us at the party.
Sentences in the course that use this rule: 29
Try it yourself
Translate a sentence that uses this rule. The check marks the word that went wrong and names the rule behind it, as in the app.
Sentences
Write it in Serbian
Both grandmothers are coming to the birthday party.