Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/Genitive-Case

Lithuanian Grammar → → Genitive Case

As a Lithuanian language teacher, I have been teaching Lithuanian grammar for 20 years. Today, we will explore the essential rules for using genitive case in Lithuanian and how to use it to show possession.

What is Genitive Case?

Genitive case is one of the seven cases in Lithuanian grammar. It is used to show possession and is often translated to "of" in English. For example, "the book of the teacher" would be "mokytojo knyga" in Lithuanian.

Forming Genitive Case

To form genitive case in Lithuanian, we generally add "-o" to the end of the noun. However, there are some exceptions where we add "-io" or "-jo" instead. Additionally, some nouns have irregular genitive forms which must be memorized.

Here are the general rules for forming genitive case:

• For masculine singular nouns ending in a consonant, add "-o". For example, "stalo" (table).
• For masculine singular nouns ending in "-as", "-is" or "-us", change the ending to "-o". For example, "gydytojo" (doctor's).
• For feminine singular nouns ending in "-a", add "-os". For example, "knygos" (book's).
• For feminine singular nouns ending in "-ė", add "-ės". For example, "vadybininkės" (manager's).
• For neuter singular nouns ending in "-as", add "-o". For example, "lauko" (field's).
• For neuter singular nouns ending in "-is", "-ys" or "-us", change the ending to "-o". For example, "dangaus" (sky's).
• For plural nouns of all genders, add "-ų". For example, "studentų" (students').

Here are some examples of how to form genitive case:

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
stalo	[stɑlɔ]	table's
gydytojo	[ɡidˈʑotɔ]	doctor's
knygos	[kˈnʲɔɡɔs]	book's
vadybininkės	[vɐdʲɪbʲɪnʲɪŋkʲeːs]	manager's
lauko	[lɑʊkɔ]	field's
dangaus	[dɐŋˈɡɑʊs]	sky's
studentų	[stʊdʲɛnˈtuː]	students'

Examples of Genitive Case in Use

Here are some examples to illustrate how genitive case is used in Lithuanian:

• "Jonas automobilis" (Jonas' car) becomes "Jono automobilis" (the car of Jonas).
• "Mokykla knyga" (School book) becomes "Mokyklos knyga" (the book of the school).
• "Raudona rožė" (Red rose) becomes "Raudonos rožės" (the rose of the red).

Using Genitive Case to Show Possession

As mentioned earlier, genitive case is used to show possession. To express possession in Lithuanian, we generally use the formula:

Noun in genitive case + yra + possessor

For example:

• "Mano knyga yra ant stalo" (My book is on the table).
• "Mano dukra yra mokytojo klasėje" (My daughter is in the teacher's class).

Notice how "my" is expressed using "mano" and "teacher's" is expressed using "mokytojo" in genitive case.

Conclusion

Congratulations on completing this lesson on genitive case in Lithuanian. With practice, you will become more comfortable forming and using genitive case to show possession. Keep up the good work!

Table of Contents - Lithuanian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Introduction to Lithuanian

• Alphabet and Pronunciation
• Basic Sentence Structure

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Common Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Noun Gender and Declension
• Personal Pronouns

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods
• Dining Out

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Describing People and Things
• Comparatives and Superlatives

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Common Prepositions
• Connecting Ideas

  ---

Shopping and Services

• Shopping Vocabulary
• Banking and Postal Services

  ---

Lithuanian Traditions and Customs

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Traditional Cuisine

Related Lessons

• Questions
• Nouns
• Future Tense
• Give your Opinion
• Plurals
• Nominative and Accusative Cases
• Gendered Nouns
• Personal Pronouns
• How to Use Have
• Singular and Plural Nouns