Understanding Lithuanian Adjective Declension
In Lithuanian, adjectives are like colorful words that tell us more about nouns. They need to match the noun they describe in gender, number, and case. This means they change their endings depending on these factors. Let's explore how this works!
Gender: Masculine and Feminine
Adjectives in Lithuanian change depending on whether the noun they describe is masculine or feminine. Boys, men, and masculine things use one form, while girls, women, and feminine things use another.
Examples
- Gražus berniukas (a beautiful boy)
- Graži mergaitė (a beautiful girl)
Number: Singular and Plural
Adjectives also change if there is one thing or more than one thing. This means they have singular and plural forms.
Examples
- Didelis namas (a big house)
- Dideli namai (many big houses)
Cases: Nominative, Genitive, and More
Lithuanian adjectives change their endings based on the case of the noun they describe. Cases show the role of the noun in the sentence, like who is doing something, who owns something, and so on.
Important Points
- Nominative: Used for the subject of the sentence.
- Genitive: Shows possession, like 'of something'.
- Accusative: Used for the direct object of the action.
Examples
- Mažas šuo bėga (the small dog runs)
- Matau mažą šunį (I see the small dog)
Common Endings for Adjectives
Adjectives have specific endings they use depending on the gender, number, and case. Here are some common ones:
Important Points
- Masculine Nominative Singular: -as, -is
- Feminine Nominative Singular: -a, -ė
- Masculine Nominative Plural: -i
- Feminine Nominative Plural: -os
Examples
- Žalias obuolys (a green apple)
- Žalia knyga (a green book)
- Žali obuoliai (many green apples)
- Žalios knygos (many green books)