Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/Gendered-Nouns
Introduction[edit | edit source]
Welcome to this lesson of the "Complete 0 to A1 Lithuanian Course". In this lesson, we will be discussing gendered nouns in Lithuanian. Understanding gendered nouns is key to mastering the Lithuanian language, so let's get started!
Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Conjugation & Plurals.
Masculine and Feminine Nouns[edit | edit source]
In Lithuanian, every noun is either considered masculine or feminine. It is important to know which gender category a noun falls under as this affects the articles, adjectives, and pronouns used with it.
Here are some general rules to help you know if a noun is masculine or feminine:
- Most nouns ending in -as, -is, or -us are masculine.
- Most nouns ending in -a or -ė are feminine.
- However, there are exceptions to these rules, so it is important to pay attention to the gender of each noun.
Let's take a look at some examples of masculine and feminine nouns with their respective articles:
| Lithuanian | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| vyras | /'vɪrɑs/ | man |
| medis | /'mɛdɪs/ | tree |
| katinas | /kɑ'tinas/ | cat (male) |
| moteris | /mɔtɛrɪs/ | woman |
| lape | /'lɑpɛ/ | leaf (female) |
From the examples above, you can see that masculine nouns are usually preceded by the article 'man', while feminine nouns are usually preceded by the article 'mot'.
It is also important to know the gender of a noun when using adjectives, as they must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.
For example:
- Vyras gražus. (The man is handsome.)
- Moteris graži. (The woman is beautiful.)
Notice how the masculine adjective 'graužus' ends in -s, while the feminine adjective 'graži' ends in -i.
Practice[edit | edit source]
Now it's time to practice! Below are some sentences with underlined nouns. Choose the correct article, adjective, and pronoun to match the gendered noun.
1. Mano __katinas__ (cat) yra sotus. (My __male cat__ is full.)
2. Mano __šuo__ (dog) yra didelis. (My __dog__ is big.)
3. Didelis __medis__ (tree) stovi kieme. (A big __tree__ stands in the yard.)
4. Rytoj turime susitikti su __direktorė__ (director). (Tomorrow we have to meet with the __female director__.)
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
In conclusion, understanding gendered nouns is essential in Lithuanian. Remember to pay attention to the ending of each noun to determine its gender category. Also, pay attention to the articles, adjectives, and pronouns used with each noun as they must agree in gender and number.
I hope you found this lesson useful and informative. Keep practicing and good luck with your Lithuanian studies!
Finished this lesson? Check out these related lessons: Questions & Adjectives.
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Conjugation
- Give your Opinion
- Multipurpose Words and Suffixes
- Present Tense Verbs
- Future Tense
- Genitive Case
- Word Order
- Prepositions
- Singular and Plural Nouns
- How to Use Have
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Lithuanian grammar - Wikipedia
- Gender Representation and Defaults in Lithuanian | Glossa
- Lithuanian declension - Wikipedia