SECRETS OF UKRAINIAN NUMERALS: HOW NOT TO GET CONFUSED

Learning Ukrainian numerals can be a challenge for many foreign learners. While counting from one to ten might seem simple, things get tricky when numerals interact with nouns in different cases. But don’t worry! We will uncover the secrets of using Ukrainian numerals correctly with nouns and help you avoid common mistakes — without giving you a headache.

The basics of Ukrainian numerals

Ukrainian numerals are divided into several categories: cardinal (один, два, три…), ordinal (перший, другий, третій…), fractional (пів, третина) and distributive (по двоє, по троє). Sounds intimidating? Relax, we will focus only on cardinal numerals and their interaction with nouns.

Using numerals with singular and plural nouns

• 1 (один, одна, одне) — The noun takes the singular nominative case and matches the numeral in gender.
• один стіл (one table)
• одна книга (one book)
• одне вікно (one window)
• 2, 3, 4 (два, три, чотири) — The noun takes the plural nominative case. Yes, Ukrainian makes an exception here to keep things interesting!
• два стільці (two chairs)
• три книги (three books)
• чотири вікна (four windows)
• 5 and above (п’ять, шість, сім, вісім, дев’ять, десять, etc.) — The noun takes the plural genitive case, because at this point, Ukrainian grammar is just having fun with you.
• п’ять столів (five tables)
• шість книг (six books)
• десять вікон (ten windows)

Pay attention to gender and case

• For numerals два, дві, the form depends on the gender:
• два стільці (masculine)
• дві книги (feminine)
• два вікна (neuter)

("Два коти" → два is used because кіт (male cat) is masculine. "Дві кішки" → дві is used because кішка (female cat) is feminine.)

• Compound numerals like двадцять один (21), тридцять два (32) follow specific rules:
• двадцять один стіл (singular nominative for 1)
• тридцять дві книги (plural nominative for 2)

Common mistakes and tips

• Using the wrong case after numerals:
• Incorrect: шість книги ❌
• Correct: шість книг ✅ 
• Forgetting gender agreement:
• Incorrect: два жінки ❌
• Correct: дві жінки ✅ (yes, even numbers have gender politics in Ukrainian)

Exercises for self-practice

Now it's your turn to practice using numerals with nouns. Pay close attention to gender and case agreement. And most importantly, don’t panic — Ukrainian grammar might seem like a puzzle, but once you crack the code, it’s incredibly satisfying.

• Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the noun:
• (два) (книга) → ____
• п’ять (друг) → ____
• три (стілець) → ____
• десять (вікно) → ____
• чотири (дитина) → ____

With these secrets revealed, using Ukrainian numerals will become much easier. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes — they’re part of the learning process. Happy studying! (And may the grammatical cases be ever in your favor!)