# Numbers and genders



## Tagarela

Ahoj,

Perhaps it sounds a silly question, but why do we have to say, for example, for _982 Kč_ = _Devět set osmdesát *dva* korun_, and not _Devět set osmdesát *dvě *_?

Because _dva_ is male, _dvě_female,_koruna_female... so?And we say _dvě koruny_ not dva._.. _is it because from 5 I should consider it male? 
Čau


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## winpoj

You CAN say "devět set osmdesát dvě koruny", but it is sort of obsolescent. It has nothing to do with changing gender. It probably has more to do with simplification of the language - so that the larger numbers are always read the same - osmdesát dva aut, koní, žen... instead of the more complicated osmdesát dvě auta, osmdesát dva koně, osmdesát dvě ženy.


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## Tagarela

Ahoj,

Thank you, Winpoj!

My doubt started with a exercise in my textbook, where we are told to write down some numbers, and in the key to exercises the only answer is with _dva_.
And you know that it's a little frustrating to get something wrong without knowing why. Now I'm glad that "Yes, we can (_say dva_)" 

Čau


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## werrr

Either the idea of the numeral is expanded by the noun, or the noun is modified by the numeral.

In the first case, the noun expands the numeral using a genitive construction:

   dvacet dva korun ~ one twenty-two of crowns

In the latter case, the noun is modified by the numeral, hence the numeral must be in grammatical agreement with the noun.

  dvacet dvě koruny = twenty-two crowns

The first way is possible for all integers except 1, 2, 3 and 4; the latter way is a must for 1, 2, 3 and 4 and could be used also for the compound numerals ending in 1, 2, 3 or 4 (compound in the linguistic sense).

The numerals 1, 2, 3 and 4 are exceptional because they share for historical reasons some features of articles.

dvacet dva korun 
dvacet dvě koruny 
dvaadvacet korun 
dvaadvacet koruny


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## jazyk

Dvacet dvě korun. 

I'd suggest you always use jedna/dva with all genders and then genitive plural in such constructions. It will be easier for you as a learner and that's how people say it anyway. If you choose dvě, then you have to use nominative/accusative plural. To expand on what others have said:

Tady je dvacet jedna/dva aut. - Always use jedna (21, 31, 41...) and dva (22, 32, 42...) then genitive plural.

Tady je dvacet jedno auto. Tady je dvacet dvě auta. - Here you have jedno agreeing with auto, alternatively, dvě agreeing with auta, but I don't think this is very common any more and is probably harder for learners.


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## winpoj

"Tady je dvacet dvě auta." - No, jazyk, in this case you'd have to go for "Tady JSOU dvacet dvě auta."


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## jazyk

Right, because dvě auta is kind of like the nucleus of the subject of the sentence now. It just happens that I didn't have examples with dvě at first, just with jedno and jedna, and decided to add them later and didn't proofread properly.


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