In Bosnian, noun forms after numbers follow clear patterns: after 1 use the dictionary form with jedan / jedna / jedno; after 2-4 use special forms (e.g., dva grada, dvije mačke); after 5+ use genitive plural (pet gradova, deset mačaka).
A noun is the thing you count: city, book, child. In English, the number word usually stays the same (two, five), and the noun changes a little (city -> cities). In Bosnian, both parts matter: the number word can change (dva vs dvije), and the noun ending also changes based on the number and the noun’s gender. For example with "city": jedan grad, dva grada, pet gradova.
This lesson walks through those patterns step by step. Knowing noun gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) tells you which path the noun follows after each number.
Same noun the whole way — “city” (grad). Only the numeral and the noun ending change: grad → grada for 2–4 → gradova from 5 onward.
jedan grad
one city — noun in the dictionary shape (grad)
dva grada
two cities — noun grada (genitive singular)
tri grada
three cities — still grada with 3 and 4
četiri grada
four cities — same noun shape as two and three
pet gradova
five cities — noun switches to gradova (genitive plural)
Three bands for the noun after the number: after 1 → looks like the usual singular (grad, knjiga, dijete). After 2, 3, 4 → special shapes (often -a on masculine like grada, or feminine patterns like mačke). After 5+ → genitive plural (gradova, mačaka).