Коли́чество и де́ньги
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Count people, things, and money accurately, choosing the correct noun form after each cardinal number.
- Apply genitive singular after 2, 3, and 4, and genitive plural after 5 and above, including in compound numbers.
- Use ordinal numbers to talk about dates, floors, and sequence.
- State and ask about prices, ages, and simple measurements.
- Read and interpret short texts involving numbers, prices, and dates.
- Write a short budget note or shopping plan that uses numeral government correctly.
This chapter continues to use only the cases already active in your Russian, the nominative, genitive, prepositional, and accusative. It does not introduce a new case. Instead, it develops the genitive more fully by connecting it to numbers, and it adds ordinal numbers as a new but closely related system.
Communication Scenario
Тама́ра is planning a small budget for the month and needs to buy a few things before Серге́й's birthday, which falls on a specific date this month. At the market and later at home, she and Серге́й talk about prices, ages, dates, and how many of each item she needs. As they talk, Тама́ра practices choosing the correct noun form after each number, whether she is counting friends, books, or rubles.
- You will ask and answer questions about prices, quantities, and dates.
- You will talk about ages and important dates using ordinal numbers.
- You will read and listen to short accounts involving numbers, money, and planning.
Core Vocabulary
The nouns below name money, measurements, and quantities you will count and discuss throughout this chapter. Each entry gives the nominative singular, stress, gender, plural, and animacy, since the plural forms you choose after numbers depend directly on this information.
| Russian | Meaning | Gender | Plural | Animate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| рубль | ruble | masculine | рубли́ | no |
| копе́йка | kopeck | feminine | копе́йки | no |
| цена́ | price | feminine | це́ны | no |
| бюдже́т | budget | masculine | бюдже́ты | no |
| год | year | masculine | го́ды | no |
| ме́сяц | month | masculine | ме́сяцы | no |
| неде́ля | week | feminine | неде́ли | no |
| киломе́тр | kilometer | masculine | киломе́тры | no |
| килогра́мм | kilogram | masculine | килогра́ммы | no |
| литр | liter | masculine | ли́тры | no |
| ры́нок | market | masculine | ры́нки | no |
| магази́н | store | masculine | магази́ны | no |
The verbs below carry the counting and pricing of this chapter. Each entry gives the infinitive, stress, aspect, and government pattern, so you always know which case follows.
| Russian | Meaning | Aspect | Typical pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| сто́ить | to cost | imperfective | + accusative amount, no perfective partner active |
| плати́ть / заплати́ть | to pay | imperfective / perfective | + accusative amount |
| счита́ть / посчита́ть | to count | imperfective / perfective | + accusative direct object |
| тра́тить / потра́тить | to spend | imperfective / perfective | + accusative amount |
| копи́ть / скопи́ть | to save up | imperfective / perfective | + accusative amount |
| покупа́ть / купи́ть | to buy | imperfective / perfective | + accusative direct object |
Every noun in these tables continues to carry the stress, gender, and plural information required by the Russian master instructions. Numeral government now matters directly, since the same noun changes its ending depending on the number placed before it.
Pronunciation Focus
In natural speech, Russians say prices, dates, and quantities quickly, often blending the number and the noun into one rhythmic unit. Learning to hear and produce this rhythm matters more than pausing carefully between each word.
- Practice saying два рубля́, пять рубле́й, and два́дцать оди́н рубль at a natural conversational pace, without pausing between the number and the noun.
- Contrast the stress pattern of рубль, singular, with рубле́й, genitive plural, listening for how the stress moves.
- Read the Model Dialogue below aloud once, paying attention to every price and date you encounter.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This section develops the genitive case you already use for possession and absence, extending it into numeral government, and adds ordinal numbers as a closely related new system.
Numeral government: 2-4 and 5+
- Э́та кни́га сто́ит три́ста рубле́й.This book costs three hundred rubles.рубле́й, genitive plural after triста
- У неё три сестры́, а у меня́ то́лько одна́.She has three sisters, and I have only one.сестры́, genitive singular after три
Оди́н agrees with the noun in gender and number and does not require the genitive. Compound numbers ending in оди́н, such as два́дцать оди́н, are followed by the nominative singular, not the genitive.
Ordinal numbers
- Мы живём на тре́тьем этаже́.We live on the third floor.тре́тьем, prepositional after на
- Э́то моя́ пе́рвая пое́здка в э́тот го́род.This is my first trip to this city.пе́рвая, feminine nominative agreeing with пое́здка
Age and price expressions
- Ско́лько сто́ит э́тот телефо́н?How much does this telephone cost?сто́ит, followed by a price in the accusative
- Он сто́ит две ты́сячи рубле́й.It costs two thousand rubles.ты́сячи, genitive singular after два
Expressions such as мне два́дцать лет or Серге́ю два́дцать во́семь лет use the dative case of the person, но this chapter does not activate the dative case for independent production. Learn these age formulas as fixed patterns for now, and expect the dative to open more fully in a later chapter.
Пра́ктика — Practice: Complete each sentence with the correct genitive form, choosing between genitive singular and genitive plural as the number requires.
- У меня́ два ___ (рубль).
- Она́ купи́ла пять ___ (кни́га).
- В э́том до́ме два́дцать одна́ ___ (кварти́ра).
- Мы жда́ли три ___ (неде́ля).
- Э́тот телефо́н сто́ит де́вять ты́сяч ___ (рубль).
Model Dialogue: Коли́чество и де́ньги
Context: Тама́ра and Серге́й are at the market, checking prices before Серге́й's birthday, and talking about the budget for the month.
Notice how the dialogue keeps every number carefully matched to the correct noun form, whether the noun is a book, a ruble, or a year.
Listening Practice
If no audio recording is available, ask a partner, instructor, or text to speech tool to read the passage below aloud, or read it aloud to yourself slowly, paying attention to each number and the noun that follows it.
- How much money does Irina set aside for food and for transportation?
- How old will Irina's friend be, and on what date?
- How much does the bag cost, and how does Irina describe the price?
- Find one sentence that uses a number with the genitive plural, and identify the noun.
Speaking Practice
Управля́емая пра́ктика — Controlled practice: prices and quantities
Working alone or with a partner, choose five items from the Core Vocabulary table and assign each a price and a quantity, then say each price aloud using the correct genitive form.
Коммуникати́вное зада́ние — Communicative task: plan a small budget
With a partner, plan a small monthly budget together. Decide how much money to set aside for food, transportation, and gifts, and discuss ages and important dates as they come up naturally.
Самостоя́тельная пра́ктика — Solo alternative
Record yourself describing a shopping trip, stating at least five prices and one date, as though you were explaining your purchases to a friend.
Reading Practice
Бюдже́т Ди́мы — Dima's budget
Ди́ма реши́л внима́тельно посчита́ть свои́ расхо́ды в э́том ме́сяце. У него́ есть два́дцать пять ты́сяч рубле́й на весь ме́сяц. Он тра́тит о́коло десяти́ ты́сяч рубле́й на кварти́ру, пять ты́сяч рубле́й на еду́, и о́коло двух ты́сяч рубле́й на тра́нспорт. Оста́ётся во́семь ты́сяч рубле́й, кото́рые он хо́чет скопи́ть. Ско́ро день рожде́ния его́ ма́мы, третьего ию́ля, и он хо́чет купи́ть ей краси́вый пода́рок, но не сли́шком дорого́й. Он нашёл хоро́шую фотогра́фию в ра́мке, она́ сто́ит семьсо́т рубле́й, и он ду́мает, что э́то отли́чный вы́бор. По́сле э́той поку́пки у него́ ещё оста́нется дово́льно мно́го де́нег на э́тот ме́сяц.
Зада́ние по чте́нию — Reading task:
- How much money does Dima have for the month, and how does he divide it?
- What is the occasion, and on what date does it fall?
- What gift does Dima choose, and how much does it cost?
- Find two sentences that use a number with the genitive case, and identify the noun in each.
Writing Workshop
Complete the following linked writing tasks in order. This workshop asks you to plan a small budget and describe your quantities, prices, and dates clearly.
Зада́ние 1 — Budget outline: Before writing, list at least four things you plan to buy, noting a price and a quantity for each, and one important date connected to your plan.
Зада́ние 2 — Мой бюдже́т на ме́сяц: Write a connected account of at least eight to ten sentences, describing your monthly budget, at least four prices, and one important date. Use the genitive singular after 2, 3, or 4 at least twice, and the genitive plural after 5 or more at least twice.
- Review the Grammar and Sentence Patterns section above. Confirm the genitive singular and genitive plural forms and the ordinal numbers you plan to use.
- Complete your outline. Choose real or imagined quantities, prices, and a date you can describe clearly.
- Draft your account in order. Introduce your budget, list your purchases, and mention your date.
- Read your draft aloud once. Listen for the natural rhythm between each number and its noun, as practiced in the Pronunciation Focus section.
- Check every number against its noun. Confirm that 2, 3, and 4 take the genitive singular, and that 5 and above take the genitive plural.
Спи́сок прове́рки — Final editing checklist:
- The account describes at least four items with prices clearly.
- The genitive singular after 2, 3, or 4 appears correctly at least twice.
- The genitive plural after 5 or more appears correctly at least twice.
- An ordinal number appears correctly for the important date.
- Cyrillic, stress where genuinely needed, and `ё` are used correctly throughout.
- Punctuation, capitalization, and spelling rules follow Russian conventions.
Culture and Communication
In many Russian-speaking cities, both fixed-price stores and open markets are common, and price expectations can differ between the two settings. Bargaining is more common in some markets than in fixed-price stores, and practices vary considerably by city, region, and generation, so no single shopping custom applies to every Russian-speaking community.
In everyday conversation, speakers often round prices and use approximate expressions such as о́коло, meaning approximately, followed by the genitive. Learn о́коло as a useful formulaic pattern for now, and expect fuller approximation language to develop in later chapters.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: Writing два рубле́й when the number two requires the genitive singular, not the genitive plural.
Correction: Use the genitive singular after 2, 3, and 4: два рубля́. Reserve the genitive plural, рубле́й, for numbers 5 and above.
Error: Writing одна́ рубль or оди́н кни́га, ignoring the gender of the noun that follows.
Correction: Match оди́н to the noun's gender: оди́н рубль, одна́ кни́га, одно́ ме́сто.
Error: Writing в тре́тий этаже́, leaving the ordinal number in the nominative instead of agreeing with the case the sentence requires.
Correction: Decline the ordinal number like an adjective: на тре́тьем этаже́. Ordinal numbers must agree in gender, number, and case, just as any other adjective does.
Chapter Review
Genitive singular after 2-4
Numbers ending in 2, 3, or 4, except 12, 13, and 14, take a noun in the genitive singular.
Genitive plural after 5+
Numbers ending in 5 through 9, 0, and 11 through 14, take a noun in the genitive plural.
Ordinal numbers
Ordinal numbers agree with the noun in gender, number, and case, just like adjectives, and are used for dates and sequence.
Age and price formulas
Age expressions use год, го́да, or лет following the same numeral government rule, with the dative person kept formulaic for now.
Listening
Follow a connected account of a monthly budget, tracking numbers, prices, and one important date.
Speaking
State prices, quantities, ages, and dates clearly, applying numeral government naturally.
Reading
Interpret a personal account of a budget, purchases, and an upcoming celebration.
Writing
Compose a connected account of a budget, applying genitive singular, genitive plural, and ordinal forms accurately.
Часть A — Понима́ние (Comprehension)
1. Return to the Model Dialogue, and answer these short questions.
- How much do the two books cost together?
- On what date is Серге́й's celebration, and how old will he turn?
Часть B — Пи́сьменная речь (Writing)
1. Write one sentence using a number with the genitive singular.
2. Write one sentence using a number with the genitive plural.
3. Write one sentence using an ordinal number.
Часть C — Чте́ние (Reading)
1. Return to Ди́ма's budget, and summarize his plan in three of your own sentences in English.
Часть D — Говоре́ние (Speaking)
1. With a partner, or on your own, describe three prices and one date connected to a real or imagined plan.
Practical Performance Task: Скольќо э́то сто́ит?
Chapter 4 Practical Task
Скольќо э́то сто́ит: бюдже́т, це́ны, и ва́жная да́та
Complete the following connected tasks, in order. This task collects evidence of your control of numeral government, ordinal numbers, and price and age expressions in one connected performance, drawing only on vocabulary and grammar active in this chapter and recycled from Volume I and Chapters 2 and 3.
- Complete your budget outline. Use the four prompts from the Writing Workshop above.
- Plan a small budget with a partner, or plan it alone. Decide on quantities, prices, and one important date.
- Describe your plan aloud, at least one minute long. Use numbers with correct genitive forms and at least one ordinal number as you describe your budget.
- Answer at least two follow-up questions from your partner, or imagine two such questions. Practice responding quickly with the correct numeral form.
- Write your eight to ten sentence account from the Writing Workshop. Apply the final editing checklist.
- Reflect briefly in English or Russian. Note whether choosing between genitive singular and genitive plural still feels automatic or still needs conscious checking.
| Criterion | What is checked |
|---|---|
| Content clarity | The learner clearly states at least four prices or quantities and one date. |
| Genitive singular control | The learner correctly applies the genitive singular after 2, 3, and 4. |
| Genitive plural control | The learner correctly applies the genitive plural after 5 and above. |
| Ordinal number control | The learner correctly uses an ordinal number, agreeing with its noun. |
| Age and price formulas | The learner correctly produces age and price expressions as formulaic patterns. |
| Overall comprehensibility | The completed spoken and written account communicates clearly to a sympathetic listener or reader familiar with A2 to B1 Russian. |
This task is not one of the four cumulative unit assessments scheduled in Chapters 5, 10, 15, and 20. It provides practice and formative evidence for the quantities and money system this chapter develops.
Answer Key
Grammar Practice
- У меня́ два рубля́.
- Она́ купи́ла пять книг.
- В э́том до́ме два́дцать одна́ кварти́ра.
- Мы жда́ли три неде́ли.
- Э́тот телефо́н сто́ит де́вять ты́сяч рубле́й.
Listening — Comprehension
- Irina sets aside three thousand rubles for food and one thousand rubles for transportation.
- Irina's friend will be twenty five years old on the first of June.
- The bag costs two thousand rubles, which Irina describes as a little expensive but a good gift.
- Sample answer: У меня́ есть три ты́сячи рубле́й на еду́ uses the genitive plural, рубле́й, after a number ending in three, agreeing with ты́сячи.
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- The two books cost six hundred rubles together.
- Серге́й's celebration is on the tenth of May, and he will turn twenty eight years old.
Reading
- Dima has twenty five thousand rubles for the month, dividing it among housing, food, transportation, and savings.
- The occasion is his mother's birthday, on the third of July.
- Dima chooses a framed photograph, which costs seven hundred rubles.
- Sample sentences: У него́ есть два́дцать пять ты́сяч рубле́й на весь ме́сяц and она́ сто́ит семьсо́т рубле́й.
Writing
Sample account: У меня́ есть де́сять ты́сяч рубле́й на э́тот ме́сяц. Я хочу́ купи́ть две кни́ги, они́ сто́ят шестьсо́т рубле́й, и оди́н пода́рок для подру́ги, он сто́ит две ты́сячи рубле́й. Пра́здник у неё пя́того ию́ня, и ей бу́дет два́дцать четы́ре го́да. По́сле э́тих поку́пок у меня́ оста́нется о́коло семи́ ты́сяч рубле́й на э́тот ме́сяц. Я стара́юсь не тра́тить сли́шком мно́го де́нег. Other accounts drawing accurately on this chapter's vocabulary and grammar patterns are also correct.
Looking Ahead
Что вы уже уме́ете — What you can do now
You can count people, things, and money accurately, apply genitive singular and genitive plural after the correct numbers, use ordinal numbers for dates and sequence, and state prices and ages clearly in one connected conversation or account.