Polish makes wider use of collective numbers than Czech. In Polish, collective numbers (dvoje, troje, czworo, pięcioro, etc.) are used when referring to mixed groups composed of both men and women, to children and baby animals and to nouns which only appear in the plural (known as pluralia tantum in Latin), something also shared with Czech. We thus have:
PO:Znam pięcioro polskich studentów. - The students are both male and female.
PO: Znam pięć polskish studentów. - The students are male.
CZ: Znám pět polských studentů. - We don't know if the students are all male or male and female.
EN: I know five Polish students.
PO: Ona ma troje dzieci.
CZ: Ona má tří děti.
EN: She has three chidren.
PO: W szufladzie jest dwoje nożyczek. - The numeral requires the genitive plural and the verb is in the singular.
CZ: V šuplíku jsou dvoje nůžky. - The numeral requires the nominative plural and the verb is in the plural.
EN: There are two pairs of scissors in the drawer.
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