Two eggs, five eggs: counting bends the noun
English never moves the noun: two tables, five tables. Serbian switches its shape twice, and the whole skill is knowing where the border runs. For example: “Купио сам два кромпира и пет јаја” — I bought two potatoes and five eggs. A rule from the Serbian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
English never moves the noun: two tables, five tables. Serbian switches its shape twice, and the whole skill is knowing where the border runs.
After 1 (and 21, 31, 101) comes the plain form: jedan kilogram. After 2, 3, 4 a special shape: dva tanjira, tri šolje, četiri jajeta. From 5 up, the of-plural: pet tanjira, deset jaja.
The border is judged by the last digit. So 22, 23, 24 behave like 2–4: dvadeset dva dana. But 25 and 11–14 behave like 5: dvadeset pet dana.
The verb moves too. At 2–4 it goes plural: Dva konobara su došla. From 5 up it slips into the neuter singular: Pet konobara je došlo.
Table
| the word | 1 | 2, 3, 4 | 5 and up |
|---|---|---|---|
| tanjir | jedan tanjir | dva tanjira | pet tanjira |
| šolja | jedna šolja | tri šolje | pet šolji |
| jaje | jedno jaje | četiri jajeta | deset jaja |
| dan | jedan dan | dvadeset dva dana | jedanaest dana |
| the verb | došao je | došla su | došlo je |
By example
- Купио сам два кромпира и пет јајаKupio sam dva krompira i pet jajaI bought two potatoes and five eggs
- Три шоље кафе, молимTri šolje kafe, molimThree cups of coffee, please
- Пет дана смо били на моруPet dana smo bili na moruFor five days we were at the sea
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
Two eggs, five eggs: how does it work in Serbian?
English never moves the noun: two tables, five tables. Serbian switches its shape twice, and the whole skill is knowing where the border runs.
What does it look like in an example sentence Serbian?
“Купио сам два кромпира и пет јаја” (Kupio sam dva krompira i pet jaja) — I bought two potatoes and five eggs. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.