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<div class="pg_page_title">Lithuanian Grammar - Nouns</div>
<div class="pg_page_title">Lithuanian Grammar - Nouns</div>
Hi Lithuanian learners! 😊<br>In today's lesson, we will be discussing the basics of Lithuanian nouns. We will cover topics such as gender, number, and case. By the end of this lesson, you will have a better understanding of how to use Lithuanian nouns in your everyday conversations.  
 
Hi [https://polyglotclub.com/language/lithuanian Lithuanian] learners! 😊<br>In this lesson, we will cover one of the most important aspects of the Lithuanian language: some of the peculiarities of the noun system.  
 
__TOC__
__TOC__


== Gender ==


Nouns in Lithuanian are divided into two genders: masculine and feminine. The gender of a noun is usually determined by its ending. For example, the word for “book” (“knyga”) is feminine, while the word for “table” (“stalas”) is masculine.
<span link>Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: [[Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/Noun-Gender-and-Declension|Noun Gender and Declension]], [[Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/Conditional-Mood|Conditional Mood]], [[Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have|How to Use Have]] & [[Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/Plural-Forms-of-Nouns-and-Adjectives|Plural Forms of Nouns and Adjectives]].</span>
== Introduction ==
 
Nouns are a fundamental part of any sentence. They are words that describe a person, a place, a thing, or an idea. Lithuanian is a highly inflected language which means that nouns can take many different forms, depending on their grammatical case, number and gender. In this lesson, we will look at the different types of declension, gender, and pluralization of nouns in Lithuanian.
 
To improve your [[Language/Lithuanian|Lithuanian]] [[Language/Lithuanian/Grammar|Grammar]], you can also use the [https://polyglotclub.com Polyglot Club] website. [https://polyglotclub.com/find-friends.php?search=send&d=0&f=36&offre1=76 Find native speakers] and ask them any [https://polyglotclub.com/language/lithuanian/question questions]!
 
== Gender in Lithuanian Nouns ==
 
Unlike many other modern Indo-European languages, Lithuanian has three genders - masculine, feminine and neuter. Assigning each noun to its corresponding gender may seem arbitrary to speakers of other languages, as there are no hard and fast rules.
 
Below are some examples of nouns in each gender. Pay attention to their gender endings. They will be important for declension.
 
{| class="wikitable"
! Lithuanian !! Pronunciation !! English
|-
| vyras || ['vʲiːrɐs] || man
|-
| moteris || [mo'teːrɪs] || woman
|-
| vaikas || ['vɐɪ̯kɐs] || child
|-
| miškas || ['miʃkɐs] || forest
|-
| namas || ['nɐmɐs] || house
|-
| akmuo || ['ɐkmʊɔ] || stone
|}
 
It's worth noting that identifying the gender of nouns is essential, as it affects the behavior of other words in the sentence, especially adjectives and pronouns.
 
== Declension Of Nouns ==
 
As previously mentioned, Lithuanian is a highly inflected language, and nouns are no exception. Declension refers to the detailed changes that nouns undergo to convey their grammatical relationships with other words.
 
There are seven cases in Lithuanian: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, locative, and vocative.
 
Let's take the masculine noun vyras (man) as an example. It is a noun of the a-type declension.  
 
{| class="wikitable"
! Case !! Singular !! Plural
|-
| Nominative || vyras || vyrai
|-
| Genitive || vyro || vyrų
|-
| Dative || vyrui || vyrams
|-
| Accusative || vyrą || vyrus
|-
| Instrumental || vyru || vyrais
|-
| Locative || vyre || vyruose
|-
| Vocative || vyre || vyrai
|}
 
In general, Lithuanian nouns, depending on their gender and declension type, will take one of the following endings, which correspond to the grammatical case in question:
 
- a, e, ę, is, us, ys, i, u, y, ia, ie, uo, u, uose.
 
For instance, the feminine noun moteris (woman), which is also from the a-type declension, behaves quite differently:


=== Masculine Nouns ===
{| class="wikitable"
! Case !! Singular !! Plural
|-
| Nominative || moteris || moterys
|-
| Genitive || moters || moterų
|-
| Dative || moteriai || moterims
|-
| Accusative || moterį || moteris
|-
| Instrumental || moterimi || moterimis
|-
| Locative || moteryje || moterų
|-
| Vocative || moteri || moterys
|}


Masculine nouns typically end in -as, -is, -ys, or -us. For example, the word for “table” (“stalas”) ends in -as, while the word for “chair” (“kėdė”) ends in -ė.  
As you can see, the feminine nouns have different endings, depending on the grammatical case, and not all feminine nouns follow the same pattern.


=== Feminine Nouns ===
It's essential to memorize these changes, as they are an essential part of learning Lithuanian. Don't worry, it takes time, but with practice and patience, you'll master the different declensions in no time!


Feminine nouns typically end in -a, -ė, -ėlė, or -utė. For example, the word for “book” (“knyga”) ends in -a, while the word for “pencil” (“pieštukas”) ends in -as.
== Pluralization of Nouns ==


== Number ==
The Lithuanian language has four ways to form plurals, but the most common is the addition of the suffix -ai, -iai, -ės, and -os.


Nouns in Lithuanian can be singular or plural. The plural form of a noun is usually formed by adding -ai or -iai to the end of the word. For example, the word for “book” (“knyga”) becomes “knygos” in the plural form.
For example:


== Case ==
* vaikas (child) becomes vaikai (children).
* knyga (book) becomes knygos (books).
* mama (mother) becomes mamos (mothers).
* vanduo (water) becomes vandenys (waters).


Nouns in Lithuanian can take different forms depending on their function in a sentence. This is known as “case”. There are seven cases in Lithuanian: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, locative, and vocative.  
There are some irregular forms, especially with masculine nouns. But the more nouns you memorize, the easier it will be to identify these patterns.


=== Nominative Case ===
Let's see how the nouns above that we used as examples are formed in the plural form:


The nominative case is used for the subject of a sentence. For example, the word for “book” (“knyga”) would be in the nominative case if it was the subject of the sentence.
{| class="wikitable"
! Lithuanian !! Singular !! Plural
|-
| vyras || man || vyrai
|-
| moteris || woman || moterys
|-
| vaikas || child || vaikai
|-
| miškas || forest || miškai
|-
| namas || house || namai
|-
| akmuo || stone || akmenys
|}


=== Genitive Case ===
== Dialogue ==


The genitive case is used to indicate possession. For example, the word for “book” (“knyga”) would be in the genitive case if it was indicating that someone owned the book.
Here is a dialogue with some Lithuanian noun phrases in context:


=== Dative Case ===
* Ona: Labas Danieli. Koks tavo mėgstamiausias miestas Lietuvoje?
* Danielis: Labas Ona. Mano mėgstamiausias miestas yra Kaunas. Jis yra šalia Nemuno upės ir turi gražių parkų ir senamiesčio.
* Ona: Suprantama. Mano mėgstamiausias miestas yra Vilnius. Vilnius yra daugiau kaip 1000 metų senumo ir turi ilgą istoriją.
* Danielis: Taip, Vilnius yra gražus miestas. Man patinka tos senos, istorinės statybos pastatai.


The dative case is used to indicate the indirect object of a sentence. For example, the word for “book” (“knyga”) would be in the dative case if it was being given to someone.
Translation:


=== Accusative Case ===
* Ona: Hello, Daniel. What's your favorite city in Lithuania?
* Daniel: Hello, Ona. My favorite city is Kaunas. It is near the Nemunas river and has beautiful parks and an old town.
* Ona: I see. My favorite city is Vilnius. Vilnius is over 1000 years old and has a long history.
* Daniel: Yes, Vilnius is a beautiful city. I like those old, historic buildings.


The accusative case is used to indicate the direct object of a sentence. For example, the word for “book” (“knyga”) would be in the accusative case if it was being read.  
<span class='maj'></span>
==Sources==
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuanian_grammar Lithuanian grammar - Wikipedia]
* [https://ling-app.com/lt/sentence-structure-in-lithuanian/ Sentence Structure In Lithuanian: 5+ Best Points - Ling App]
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithuanian_declension Lithuanian declension - Wikipedia]


=== Instrumental Case ===
{{#seo:
|title=Lithuanian Grammar - Nouns
|keywords=Lithuanian, grammar, nouns, declension, gender, plurals
|description=The Lithuanian noun system is nuanced and complex. This lesson, aimed at intermediate learners, will cover the different types of declension, gender, and pluralization of nouns in Lithuanian.
}}


The instrumental case is used to indicate the means by which something is done. For example, the word for “book” (“knyga”) would be in the instrumental case if it was being used to write something.  
<hr>➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.<br>➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎


=== Locative Case ===
==Videos==


The locative case is used to indicate the location of something. For example, the word for “book” (“knyga”) would be in the locative case if it was located somewhere.  
===Lithuanian Lesson 9 - Cases of Nouns - YouTube===
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0_2jdU0-g4</youtube>


=== Vocative Case ===
===Lithuanian Lesson 3 - Personal Pronouns - YouTube===
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQF_oI4VscY</youtube>


The vocative case is used to address someone directly. For example, the word for “book” (“knyga”) would be in the vocative case if it was being addressed to someone.  
===LITHUANIAN LESSON 78 - PERSONAL PRONOUNS FOR ALL ...===
<youtube>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaJGeYn5dvo</youtube>


<br><hr>If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.<br>Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎
==Other Lessons==
* [[Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/Give-your-Opinion|Give your Opinion]]
* [[Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be|How to Use Be]]
* [[Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/How-to-Use-Have|How to Use Have]]
* [[Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/Future-Tense|Future Tense]]
* [[Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/Plurals|Plurals]]
* [[Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/Pronouns|Pronouns]]
* [[Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/Negation|Negation]]
* [[Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/Adjectives|Adjectives]]
* [[Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/Questions|Questions]]


{{Lithuanian-Page-Bottom}}
{{Lithuanian-Page-Bottom}}
<span links></span>

Latest revision as of 20:54, 27 March 2023

30EE5B94-4D56-4C8B-9796-38B1CFE1679F.png
Lithuanian Grammar - Nouns

Hi Lithuanian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will cover one of the most important aspects of the Lithuanian language: some of the peculiarities of the noun system.


Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Noun Gender and Declension, Conditional Mood, How to Use Have & Plural Forms of Nouns and Adjectives.

Introduction[edit | edit source]

Nouns are a fundamental part of any sentence. They are words that describe a person, a place, a thing, or an idea. Lithuanian is a highly inflected language which means that nouns can take many different forms, depending on their grammatical case, number and gender. In this lesson, we will look at the different types of declension, gender, and pluralization of nouns in Lithuanian.

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

Gender in Lithuanian Nouns[edit | edit source]

Unlike many other modern Indo-European languages, Lithuanian has three genders - masculine, feminine and neuter. Assigning each noun to its corresponding gender may seem arbitrary to speakers of other languages, as there are no hard and fast rules.

Below are some examples of nouns in each gender. Pay attention to their gender endings. They will be important for declension.

Lithuanian Pronunciation English
vyras ['vʲiːrɐs] man
moteris [mo'teːrɪs] woman
vaikas ['vɐɪ̯kɐs] child
miškas ['miʃkɐs] forest
namas ['nɐmɐs] house
akmuo ['ɐkmʊɔ] stone

It's worth noting that identifying the gender of nouns is essential, as it affects the behavior of other words in the sentence, especially adjectives and pronouns.

Declension Of Nouns[edit | edit source]

As previously mentioned, Lithuanian is a highly inflected language, and nouns are no exception. Declension refers to the detailed changes that nouns undergo to convey their grammatical relationships with other words.

There are seven cases in Lithuanian: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, locative, and vocative.

Let's take the masculine noun vyras (man) as an example. It is a noun of the a-type declension.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative vyras vyrai
Genitive vyro vyrų
Dative vyrui vyrams
Accusative vyrą vyrus
Instrumental vyru vyrais
Locative vyre vyruose
Vocative vyre vyrai

In general, Lithuanian nouns, depending on their gender and declension type, will take one of the following endings, which correspond to the grammatical case in question:

- a, e, ę, is, us, ys, i, u, y, ia, ie, uo, u, uose.

For instance, the feminine noun moteris (woman), which is also from the a-type declension, behaves quite differently:

Case Singular Plural
Nominative moteris moterys
Genitive moters moterų
Dative moteriai moterims
Accusative moterį moteris
Instrumental moterimi moterimis
Locative moteryje moterų
Vocative moteri moterys

As you can see, the feminine nouns have different endings, depending on the grammatical case, and not all feminine nouns follow the same pattern.

It's essential to memorize these changes, as they are an essential part of learning Lithuanian. Don't worry, it takes time, but with practice and patience, you'll master the different declensions in no time!

Pluralization of Nouns[edit | edit source]

The Lithuanian language has four ways to form plurals, but the most common is the addition of the suffix -ai, -iai, -ės, and -os.

For example:

  • vaikas (child) becomes vaikai (children).
  • knyga (book) becomes knygos (books).
  • mama (mother) becomes mamos (mothers).
  • vanduo (water) becomes vandenys (waters).

There are some irregular forms, especially with masculine nouns. But the more nouns you memorize, the easier it will be to identify these patterns.

Let's see how the nouns above that we used as examples are formed in the plural form:

Lithuanian Singular Plural
vyras man vyrai
moteris woman moterys
vaikas child vaikai
miškas forest miškai
namas house namai
akmuo stone akmenys

Dialogue[edit | edit source]

Here is a dialogue with some Lithuanian noun phrases in context:

  • Ona: Labas Danieli. Koks tavo mėgstamiausias miestas Lietuvoje?
  • Danielis: Labas Ona. Mano mėgstamiausias miestas yra Kaunas. Jis yra šalia Nemuno upės ir turi gražių parkų ir senamiesčio.
  • Ona: Suprantama. Mano mėgstamiausias miestas yra Vilnius. Vilnius yra daugiau kaip 1000 metų senumo ir turi ilgą istoriją.
  • Danielis: Taip, Vilnius yra gražus miestas. Man patinka tos senos, istorinės statybos pastatai.

Translation:

  • Ona: Hello, Daniel. What's your favorite city in Lithuania?
  • Daniel: Hello, Ona. My favorite city is Kaunas. It is near the Nemunas river and has beautiful parks and an old town.
  • Ona: I see. My favorite city is Vilnius. Vilnius is over 1000 years old and has a long history.
  • Daniel: Yes, Vilnius is a beautiful city. I like those old, historic buildings.

Sources[edit | edit source]

➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Videos[edit | edit source]

Lithuanian Lesson 9 - Cases of Nouns - YouTube[edit | edit source]

Lithuanian Lesson 3 - Personal Pronouns - YouTube[edit | edit source]

LITHUANIAN LESSON 78 - PERSONAL PRONOUNS FOR ALL ...[edit | edit source]

Other Lessons[edit | edit source]

Template:Lithuanian-Page-Bottom

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