Declension of 'dva'

01

Masculine/Neuter 'dva' versus Feminine 'dvije'

The nominative has two forms by gender: dva for masculine and neuter nouns, and dvije for feminine ones.

• masculine and neuter dva
• feminine dvije

• dva auta

  two cars (masculine)

• dva uha

  two ears (neuter)

• dvije sestre

  two sisters (feminine)

• Imam dvije mlađe sestre.

  I have two younger sisters.

02

The Noun Takes the Counted Form

After dva or dvije, the noun appears in what looks like the genitive singular - the surviving dual ("how many of a thing") form, not the ordinary plural. The same holds after tri and četiri.

• Imam dva bicikla.

  I have two bicycles.

• dva velika psa

  two big dogs

• Ima lice s dva lijepa oka.

  It has a face with two beautiful eyes.

03

Adjectives Match the Counted Form

An adjective inside the phrase takes the same counted ending as the noun, agreeing with it.

• dva stara prijatelja

  two old friends

• dvije bijele košulje

  two white shirts

04

'oba' and 'obje' (both)

oba (masculine/neuter) and obje (feminine) mean "both" and pattern just like dva / dvije, with the noun in the same counted form.

• Oba stopala me bole.

  Both my feet hurt.

• obje sestre

  both sisters

• oba roditelja

  both parents

05

In the Oblique Cases

When the whole phrase sits in another case, dva has its own old dual endings: genitive dvaju (m/n) and dviju (f), dative and instrumental dvama (m/n) and dvjema (f). In everyday speech these are often sidestepped with simpler wording.

• između dviju opcija

  between two options (genitive)

• s dvama prijateljima

  with two friends (instrumental)

06

Telling Time and Counting Money

The counted form is exactly what you hear in everyday measurements. With sat (hour / o'clock) and currency words it gives the familiar phrases for two o'clock, two hours and two euros.

• Sad je dva sata.

  It is two o'clock now.

• dva eura

  two euros

• dvije marke

  two marks

07

'dva' versus 'dvoje'

Use dva (or dvije) when the two things are the same kind - two cars, two sisters. Switch to the collective dvoje for two children or a mixed pair of a man and a woman; for two males specifically there is dvojica. The collectives are followed by the genitive.

• Imam dvoje djece.

  I have two children.

• dvojica braće

  two brothers (men)

• Bili smo dvoje.

  We were two (a couple).