Cardinal numbers
The Montenegrin word for number is broj. In compound numbers the conjuction i (and) may be omitted.
0 nula 22 dvadedeset (i) dva
1 jedan 30 trideset
2 dva 40 četrdeset
3 tri 50 pedeset
4 četiri 60 šezdeset
5 pet 70 sedamdeset
6 šest 80 osamdeset
7 sedam 90 devedeset
8 osam 100 sto
9 devet 101 sto jedan
10 deset 125 sto dvadeset pet
11 jedanaest 200 dvesta
12 dvanaest 300 trista
13 trinaest 400 četiristo
14 četrnest 1000 hiljada (hiljadu)
15 petnaest 1001 hiljadu i jedan
16 šesnaest 1138 hiljadu sto trideset osam
17 sedamnaest 3000 tri hiljade
18 osamnaest 5000 hiljada
19 devetnaest 1 000 000 milion
20 dvadeset 1 000 001 milion i jedan
21 dvadeset (i) jedan 1 000 000 000 milijarda
As you can see from the list above, use of conjuction i is optional. Note also that the noun for one thousand is hiljada, but in counting it becomes hiljadu.
In Serbian the number one, jedan, behaves like an adjective. This means that its form changes depending on the gender of the noun it accompanies:
Jedan stan m. One apartment
Jedna jabuka f. One apple
Jedno pismo neu. One letter
It also changes depending on the case:
Vidim jednog studenta. I see one student/ I see a student.
Molim Vas, jednu kafu za mene. A coffee for me, please.
Similarly, the number two, dva, reflects gender:
Dva studenta m. Two (male) students
Dvije studentkinje. F. Two (female) students.
- The most important thing to memorize about numbers is the so-called rule of 5:
- Numbers 2 to 4 and all compound numbers ending in 2,3 or 4 are followed by a noun in the genitive singular.
Dva stola. 2 tables
Tri stola. 3 tables
Četiri stola. 4 tables
Dvadeset dva stola. 22 tables
Trideset četiri studenta. 34 tables
- Numbers from 5 through 20 and all the compund numbers which end in 5,6,7,8,9 and 0 (for example trideset pet, četrdeset osam etc.) take a noun in the genitive plural.
Pet stolova. 5 tables
Sedam stolova. 7 tables
Jedanaest stolova. 11 tables
Dvanaest stolova. 12 tables
Šezdeset stolova. 60 tables
Osam studenata. 8 students
Sedamdeset osam studenata. 78 students
- ONE and numers ending in one ( such as 21, 31 etc, but not eleven) are followed by a noun in the nominative singular.
Jedan sto. 1 table
Dvadeset jedan student. 21 students
Jedanaest studenata. 11 students
Numbers take precedence over the verb when it comes to determining the case. While the verb imati (to have) takes the accusative, if we add numbers, the object will be in the case dictated by those numbers, i.e. the genitive singular or plural.
Imam tri stana. I have three apartments.
Imam pet stanova. I have five apartments.
It is equally important to distguish between countable and uncountable nouns in the genitive. While countable nouns (even when their exact number is not metioned) will be in the genitive plural, uncountable nouns will be in the singular.
Ima puno krušaka. There are a lot of pears.
Koliko knjiga ima ovdje? How many books are there?
Nema vode. There is no water.
Koliko kafe moraš da kupiš? How much coffee do you need to buy?
Ordinal numbers
Ordinal numbers behave like adjectives in terms of their endings and they decline along with the noun they modify.
| Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Meaning |
| Prvi | Prva | Prvo | first |
| Drugi | Druga | Drugo | Second |
| Treći | Treća | Treće | Third |
| Četvrti | Četvrta | Četvrto | Fourth |
| Peti | Peta | Peto | Fifth |
| Šesti | Šesta | Šesto | Sixth |
| Sedmi | Sedma | Sedmo | Seventh |
| Osmi | Osma | Osmo | Eighth |
| Deveti | Deveta | Deveto | Ninth |
| Deseti | Deseta | Deseto | Tenth |
| Jedanaesti | Jedanaesta | Jedanaesto | Eleventh |
| Četrnaesti | Četrnaesta | Četrnaesto | Fourteenth |
| Dvadeseti | Dvadeseta | Dvadeseto | Twentieth |
| Pedeseti | Pedeseta | Pedeseto | Fiftieth |
| Stoti | Stota | Stoto | One hundeth |
| Hiljaditi | Hiljadita | Hiljadito | One thousandth |
Simpy add -i for masculine, -a for feminine, and -o for neuter to the cardinal number.
Dates
Ordinal numbers in the genitive are used in dates. The number indicating the day is in the genitive with verbs other than the verb to be. This means that in experssions such as Today is… Danas je…. the day will be an ordinal number in the nominative and the name of the month will also be in the nominative.
Danas je peti avgust. Today is the fifth of August.
With other verbs the number indicating the day as well as the name of the month will both be in the genitive. In dates that include the year one says hiljadu (not hiljada) for one thousand and the final digit is an ordinal number in the genitive feminine.
Kada putujete? Putujemo trideset prvog avgusta.
When are you traveling? We are traveling on August 31st.
Koji je danas datum? Danas je tridest prvi avgust dvije hiljade i šeste godine.
Today is August 31st, 2006.
Collective numbers
This group of numbers is used for groups of people. Depending on the gender mix, the numbers used will differ. When referring to a group of women consisting of more than two persons cardinal numbers should be used. Different forms are used, however, to indicate a group of men or a mixed male-female group.
Mixed group Men Women
Dvoje Dvojica Dvije two
Oboje Obojica Obje Both
Troje Trojica tri three
Četvoro Četvorica četiri four
Petoro petorica pet five
The two of us and similar expressions ( the three of you, the five of you, the five of them) require the use of the genitive plural for the pronoun as well as the correct form for the number, depending on the gender.
The 2 of them the 3 of you the 5 of us
njih dve (2 women) vas tri (3 women) nas pet (women)
njih dvojica (2 men) vas trojica (3 men) nas petorica (5 men)
Njih dvoje (mixed pair) vas troje (mixed group of 3) nas petoro (mixed group of 5)
