Collective numerals
Counting a group: двое, трое, четверо… and оба / обе (both).
⚡Key points
What is a collective numeral?
Collective numerals (собира́тельные числительные) refer to a small group of people taken together: двое (two), трое (three), четверо (four)… They are used mainly from 2 to 7; beyond that, cardinals are used again.
The collective numerals
| 2 | двое | двое студе́нтов |
| 3 | трое | трое дете́й |
| 4 | четверо | четверо друзе́й |
| 5 | пятеро | пятеро рабо́чих |
| 6 / 7 | шестеро / семеро | шестеро человек |
When to use them
Uses
With male persons (or a mixed group)
двое студе́нтов (two students)
трое друзе́й (three friends)
With де́ти, лю́ди, ребя́та
У них трое дете́й. (They have three children.)
With pluralia tantum (nouns with no singular)
двое су́ток (two full days)
двое но́жниц (two pairs of scissors)
With personal pronouns
Нас было трое. (There were three of us.)
💡⚠️ Genitive plural; not for women or objects
оба / обе: both
оба and обе mean “both (together)”. оба is masculine and neuter, обе feminine. In the nominative they are followed by the genitive singular (оба бра́та, обе сестры́) and they decline (обоих / обеих…).
оба / обе
| Masculine / neuter | оба | оба бра́та (both brothers) |
| Feminine | обе | обе сестры́ (both sisters) |
| Oblique cases (masc) | обоих, обоим… | у обоих бра́тьев (at both brothers’) |
| Oblique cases (fem) | обеих, обеим… | у обеих сестёр (at both sisters’) |
Using оба / обе
оба (masc/neuter) + genitive singular
Оба студе́нта сда́ли экза́мен. (Both students passed.)
обе (feminine) + genitive singular
Обе де́вочки пришли́. (Both girls came.)
Dialogue: a big family
Guest: How many children do you have? — Hostess: Four! Three boys and one girl. — Guest: And the older ones? — Hostess: Both older sons are already at university. Both grandmothers help.