Cardinal Numbers (Osnovni brojevi) in Serbian
Cardinal Numbers and Counting (Osnovni brojevi: 1 do 100)
Serbian numbers 1–4 inflect for gender and case, governing unique paucal agreement, while numbers 5 and above govern the Genitive plural.
In Serbian grammar, *Cardinal Numbers (Osnovni brojevi)* exhibit a distinctive Slavic syntactic governing pattern divided into two distinct counting systems:
1. Numbers 1 to 4 (Gender Agreement & Paucal Governance): - 1 (jedan, jedna, jedno): Fully inflects like an adjective, agreeing with the singular noun: jedan student, jedna knjiga, jedno selo. - 2 (dva masc./neut., dve / dvije fem.), 3 (tri), 4 (četiri): - Masculine & Neuter nouns take the *Paucal form (Paukal), identical to Genitive singular in -a: dva studenta, tri grada, četiri sela. - Feminine nouns take the Nominative/Accusative plural in -e: dve knjige, tri žene, četiri kuće. - Accompanying adjectives take paucal endings: -a for masc./neut. (dva nova studenta), -e for fem. (dve nove knjige*).
2. Numbers 5 and Above (Genitive Plural Governance): - Numbers from 5 (pet) to infinity (deset, dvadeset, sto, hiljada) govern the Genitive Plural with long -a: pet studentā*, deset gradovā, dvadeset ženā, sto selā. - When numbers 5+ form the subject, the predicate verb takes neuter singular default agreement: Došlo je pet studenata* (literally: 'Came [neuter sg.] five of students').
Examples
U našoj univerzitetskoj grupi studiraju tri nova studenta i četiri studentkinje.
In our university group, three new male students and four female students are studying.
Na međunarodnoj konferenciji u Beogradu učestvovalo je preko pedeset stranih naučnika.
Over fifty foreign scientists participated in the international conference in Belgrade.
Kupio sam dva kilograma svežih jabuka i tri litra prirodnog soka.
I bought two kilograms of fresh apples and three liters of natural juice.
Pre tačno pet godina smo se preselili u ovaj prelepi stan u centru grada.
Exactly five years ago we moved into this beautiful apartment in the city center.
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