Nouns in the nominative: gender and number in Latvian
How it works
In Latvian there are two grammatical genders: masculine and feminine. Most masculine nouns end in the nominative singular on ‹-s› or ‹-š›, e.g. ‹zēns› (boy), ‹draugs› (friend). Many feminine nouns end in the nominative singular on ‹-a› or ‹-e›, e.g. ‹skola› (school), ‹meitene› (girl). In the nominative plural, masculine nouns often end on ‹-i›, e.g. ‹zēni›, and feminine nouns often on ‹-as› or ‹-es›, e.g. ‹skolas›, ‹meitenes›. Some exceptions exist, but these patterns help with many basic words. The correct gender and number form is important for sentence formation.
Masculine nouns usually end in the nominative singular on ‹-s› or ‹-š›, feminine nouns often on ‹-a› or ‹-e›. In the nominative plural, masculine nouns often end on ‹-i›, feminine nouns often on ‹-as› or ‹-es›. The ending therefore helps to recognize the gender and number of the noun.
An example
Which word is masculine and stands in the nominative plural: ‹draugi› or ‹skola›?
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50 Exercises
To the learning unit →Own explanation and own practice exercises by AmyMath. Subject reference framework: Latvian. The topic assignment may vary by federal state.