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A2 · Basics · Lesson 11
Numbers, time & days
The number changes the case of the noun after it.
Counting has a famous twist: the number decides the form of the following noun. One takes the plain noun, two-to-four take a plural, and five and up take the genitive plural — and that pattern repeats for every later 2-4 and 5+.
| Number | Noun form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | nominative | jeden bilet |
| 2, 3, 4 | nominative plural | trzy bilety |
| 5 and up | genitive plural | pięć biletów |
| 22, 23, 24 | like 2–4 | dwadzieścia trzy bilety |
- •Days: poniedziałek, wtorek, środa, czwartek, piątek, sobota, niedziela.
- •Time: Która godzina? — Jest pierwsza.
Quick check
Which is correct?
5 and up take the genitive plural.
How do you say 'three'?
trzy = three.
Practice
Now produce the answers yourself — type them, choose the form, or build the sentence.
pięć ___ (bilet)
5+ → genitive plural.
trzy ___ (bilet)
2–4 → plural.
dwa ___ (kot)
Say: I have two tickets.
Build the sentence — tap the words in order:
What this lesson covered
Numbers, time and days come together in this lesson because they share one quirk: the number changes the case of the noun after it. Two, three and four take the plural nominative (trzy bilety), but five and above switch to the genitive plural (pięć biletów) — a pattern worth drilling until it's automatic. For the clock, the key question is która godzina?, answered with jest plus a feminine ordinal (jest piąta, “it's five”), and “at” a time uses o (o piątej). The days of the week and the ability to state your age (mam dwadzieścia lat) round out the practical toolkit. These are words you'll reach for constantly — shopping, scheduling, catching transport — so the time you spend here pays off every single day.