Language/Standard-latvian/Grammar/Nouns-and-their-declensions
Introduction: Nouns and their declensions in Latvian Grammar
Greetings, learners! Let's dive into the world of Latvian grammar and explore the fascinating world of nouns and their declensions. In Latvian, every noun has a gender, either masculine, feminine or neuter, and six cases: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, and locative. Mastering Latvian nouns and their declensions is essential for speaking, reading and writing Latvian. With consistent practice, you can learn how to use nouns correctly and form grammatically correct sentences.
Latvian genders of nouns
The Latvian language distinguishes three genders of nouns:
- Masculine: The majority of nouns that end with -is, -s or -š, belong to the masculine gender.
- Feminine: Most feminine nouns end with -a or -e, but a few follow other patterns.
- Neuter: Nouns that typically end with -u, -e or -i belong to the neuter gender.
Latvian declension of nouns
Latvian nouns can have six different cases, each of which reflects the noun's grammatical function in the sentence. Memorizing the endings for each declension using the standard paradigms of Latvian declension ensures that you can decline each noun correctly.
The six cases for Latvian nouns and their functions are:
- Nominative - marks the subject of a sentence
- Genitive - marks possession, source or material
- Dative - marks the indirect object or some other specific relationship
- Accusative - marks the direct object of a sentence
- Instrumental - marks the instrument used in performing an action
- Locative - marks a location or place.
Latvian declension table of nouns
| Case | Masc./Neut. | Fem. |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | -is/-s/-š/-u | -a/-e |
| Genitive | -a/-u/-as/-u | -as/-es/-u |
| Dative | -im/-am | -ai/-ei |
| Accusative | -i/-u/-u/-us | -u/-i/-es/-i |
| Instrumental | -i/-u/-i/-iem | -u/-i/-ēm/-īm |
| Locative | -ī/-os | -ā/-ē/-os |
Examples
The best way to start practicing declension is through examples. Here are a few examples of Latvian nouns in various cases:
Nouns in the nominative case
| Latvian Noun | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Suns (m.) | Dog |
| Mašīna (f.) | Car |
| Jumts (m.) | Roof |
Nouns in the genitive case
| Latvian Noun | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Sunīša (m.) | Dog's |
| Mašīnas (f.) | Car's |
| Jumta (m.) | Roof's |
Nouns in the dative case
| Latvian Noun | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Sunim (m.) | (to) Dog |
| Mašīnai (f.) | (to) Car |
| Jumtam (m.) | (to) Roof |
Nouns in the accusative case
| Latvian Noun | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Suni (m.) | Dog |
| Mašīnu (f.) | Car |
| Jumtu (m.) | Roof |
Nouns in the instrumental case
| Latvian Noun | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Ar suni (m.) | with the dog |
| Ar mašīnu (f.) | with the car |
| Ar jumtu (m.) | with the roof |
Nouns in the locative case
| Latvian Noun | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Sunī (m.) | at the dog's |
| Mašīnā (f.) | in the car |
| Jumtā (m.) | on the roof |
Conclusion
Congratulations, you have completed the "Standard Latvian Grammar → Introduction to Latvian grammar → Nouns and their declensions" lesson. By acquiring the knowledge
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