Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/Plurals

Lithuanian Grammar - Plurals

Hi Lithuanian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about plurals in Lithuanian, an important aspect of Grammar. As a Lithuanian language teacher for over 20 years, I will illustrate this lesson with cultural information and interesting facts. Don't hesitate to ask any questions in the comments section and feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Introduction

In Lithuanian, as in many other languages, nouns can be either singular or plural. In this lesson, we will focus on forming plurals in Lithuanian. Knowing plurals will help you better communicate with native Lithuanian speakers and expand your vocabulary when learning the language.

To improve your Lithuanian Grammar, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Rules for Forming Plurals

The rules for forming plurals in Lithuanian are based on the word's gender and number.

Gender

In Lithuanian, there are three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter. The gender of a noun is important to know when forming plurals because the ending of the word changes depending on its gender.

Number

Lithuanian has two numbers: singular and plural. When forming plurals, the noun's ending typically changes, with some exceptions.

To form plurals in Lithuanian, we add different suffixes depending on the gender and the final vowel of the singular form. If the noun ends with -as, -is or -us, usually we have to change the ending to -ai, -iai or -us in its plural form.

However, there are some irregularities, especially when it comes to nouns with feminine gender. For example, nouns ending with -ė will have both -ės and -ėse forms in their plural. Another example is a noun ‘motina’ (mother), which changes in plural to ‘motinos’.

Now, let's see some more specific examples below.

Masculine Nouns

Masculine nouns in Lithuanian usually end in -as, -is, or -us.

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
vyras	vee-rahs	man
automobilis	ow-to-mo-be-lys	automobile
studentas	stu-dehn-tuhs	student

To form the plural of masculine nouns:

• Nouns ending in -as change to -ai, for example:

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
vyras	vee-rahs	man
vyrai	vee-rai	men

• Nouns ending in -is change to -iai, for example:

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
automobilis	ow-to-mo-be-lys	automobile
automobiliai	ow-to-mo-be-li-ai	automobiles

• Nouns ending in -us can have different endings, such as -ai or -ius, for example:

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
studentas	stu-dehn-tuhs	student
studentai	stu-dehn-tai	students
gydytojas	gi-dih-toh-yas	doctor
gydytojai	gi-dih-toh-yai	doctors

Feminine Nouns

Feminine nouns in Lithuanian usually end in -a, -ė, or -ėlė.

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
moteris	mo-teh-ris	woman
medis	meh-dis	tree
obelis	oh-beh-lis	apple tree

To form the plural of feminine nouns:

• Nouns ending in -a change to -os, for example:

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
moteris	mo-teh-ris	woman
moterys	mo-teh-ris	women

• Nouns ending in -ė can have different endings -ės or -ėse, for example:

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
žmona	zh-mo-nah	wife
žmonos	zh-mo-nos	wives or family in general
gyvate	gi-va-teh	snake
gyvatės	gi-va-tes	snakes

• Nouns ending in -ėlė change to -ėlės, for example:

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
bernelė	ber-ne-leh	little girl
bernelės	ber-ne-lehs	little girls

Neuter Nouns

Neuter nouns in Lithuanian usually end in -e, such as "pienas" (milk) or "vanduo" (water).

To form the plural of neuter nouns:

• Nouns ending in -e change to -iai, for example:

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
pienas	pye-nahs	milk
pienai	pye-nai	milks

Mixed Gender Nouns

Mixed gender nouns in Lithuanian are those that can be masculine or feminine, depending on the context.

To form the plural of mixed gender nouns:

• We usually use the masculine plural forms, for example:

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
vaikas	vy-kas	child
vaikai	vy-kai	children

Dialogue

Here is a dialogue to help you see how plurals function in conversation:

• Person 1: Ką tu gali man papasakoti apie Lietuvos gyventojus? (What can you tell me about the people of Lithuania?)
• Person 2: Jie yra didelis draugiškas žmonių būrys, daugelis jų labai mėgsta gerti alų. (They are a big friendly group of people, many of whom love to drink beer.)
• Person 1: Tai reiškia, kad jie yra alaus gerėjai? (So that means they are beer drinkers?)
• Person 2: Taip, ypač vyrai. (Yes, especially men.)
• Person 1: Suprantu, aš norėčiau susipažinti su keliais lietuvių žmonėmis. (I understand, I would like to meet a few Lithuanian people.)
• Person 2: Jūs galite naudoti Polyglot Club, kad susikurtumėte keletą draugų iš Lietuvos. (You can use Polyglot Club to meet some friends from Lithuania.)

Practice

Now, it's your turn to practice forming plurals in Lithuanian. Choose 5 nouns and their translations in English, and form their respective plural forms. Check your answers below:

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English (singular)	English (plural)
kava	kah-vah	coffee
knyga	k-nih-gah	book
automobilis	ow-to-mo-be-lys	automobile
medis	meh-dis	tree
studentė	stu-den-teh	student (female)

Conclusion

In conclusion, plurals are an important aspect of Lithuanian grammar. Knowing how to form plurals in Lithuanian can help improve your communication with native speakers and expand your vocabulary. Don't hesitate to practice and use the examples from this lesson in real-life situations.

Sources

• Lithuanian language
• Lithuanian nouns
• Lithuanian grammar