Dva chasa, pyat chasov: the number picks the noun form
After odin the noun keeps its dictionary form: odin chas. After dva, tri, chetyre comes a special counting form: dva chasa, tri stola — something between singular and plural. For example: “У меня два часа” — I have two hours. A rule from the Russian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
After odin the noun keeps its dictionary form: odin chas. After dva, tri, chetyre comes a special counting form: dva chasa, tri stola — something between singular and plural.
From pyat on, the plural of-form takes over: pyat chasov, shest chashek, desyat rubley. The rule stays the same all the way up: odinnadtsat dney, dvadtsat minut.
Dva knows gender: dva chasa, but dve chashki, dve nochi. Odin agrees all the way through: odin chay, odna voda, odno yabloko — like an adjective.
Table
| How many | Chas | Chashka |
|---|---|---|
| one | odin chas | odna chashka |
| two | dva chasa | dve chashki |
| three | tri chasa | tri chashki |
| five | pyat chasov | pyat chashek |
| ten | desyat chasov | desyat chashek |
By example
- У меня два часаU menya dva chasaI have two hours
- Я хочу одну водуYa khochu odnu voduI want one water
- Десять минут, и мы тамDesyat minut, i my tamTen minutes and we are there
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Dva chasa, pyat chasov: how does it work in Russian?
After odin the noun keeps its dictionary form: odin chas. After dva, tri, chetyre comes a special counting form: dva chasa, tri stola — something between singular and plural.
What does it look like in a Russian example sentence?
“У меня два часа” (U menya dva chasa) — I have two hours. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.