pie + Genitive
At and Near: Pie
Pie + genitive means by or at: pie loga (by the window), pie galda (at the table), pie ārsta (at the doctor's), pie draudzenes (at my friend's place).
How It Works
Next to a thing. Es sēžu pie loga. (I am sitting by the window.) Pietura ir pie skolas. (The stop is next to the school.) Mēs sēžam pie galda. (We are sitting at the table.)
At a person's place. With a person, pie means at their home, office or side: Es esmu pie draudzenes. (I am at my friend's place.) Vakar es biju pie ārsta. (Yesterday I was at the doctor's.)
Going to a person. To a place is uz (uz veikalu, to the shop). To a person is pie: Es eju pie ārsta. (I am going to the doctor.) Svētdien mēs braucam pie vecmāmiņas. (On Sunday we are going to Grandma's.) So the same phrase can answer both where? and where to?
Forms. Pie takes the genitive in the singular: logs → pie loga, māja → pie mājas. Singular pronouns use their genitive forms: pie manis, pie tevis, pie viņa, pie viņas (see pronouns after prepositions). In the plural, nouns and pronouns are dative: pie vecākiem, pie mums, pie jums.
Pie mums can also mean where we live or in our country: Pie mums ziemā ir ļoti auksti. (Where we live, it is very cold in winter.)
Examples (6)
- Es sēžu pie loga.
I am sitting by the window.
logs → pie loga: genitive singular.
- Vakar es biju pie ārsta.
Yesterday I was at the doctor's.
With a person, pie means at their place or office.
- Svētdien mēs braucam pie vecmāmiņas.
On Sunday we are going to Grandma's.
Going to see a person also uses pie, not uz.
- Vai tu šodien nāc pie manis?
Are you coming over to my place today?
The genitive of es after pie is manis.
- Autobusa pietura ir pie skolas.
The bus stop is next to the school.
skola → pie skolas.
- Pie mums ziemā ir ļoti auksti.
Where we live, it is very cold in winter.
Pie mums can mean in our home or in our country. Mums is dative because it is plural.
Common Mistakes
Using uz to go to a person.
Es eju uz ārstu.Es eju pie ārsta.In standard Latvian, uz is for going to places and events. To go and see a person, use pie with the genitive.
Using the dative pronoun man after pie.
Vai tu nāc pie man?Vai tu nāc pie manis?Pie takes the genitive, and the genitive of es is manis: pie manis, pie tevis.
Using the accusative after pie.
Es sēžu pie logu.Es sēžu pie loga.Pie takes the genitive in the singular: logs → loga.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Pie takes the genitive in the singular and the dative in the plural.
Related Patterns
- Preposition + manis / tevis / viņaPronouns After Prepositions
Pie manis and pie tevis use these genitive pronouns.
Level 3 - uz + Accusative (Direction)Going to a Place
Uz is for going to places, and pie is for going to people.
Level 1 - Plural Nouns After Prepositions
In the plural, pie takes the dative: pie vecākiem.
Level 2 - uz + Genitive (Location)On: Uz with the Genitive
Uz galda means on the table, while pie galda means at the table.
Level 2 - blakus / pretī / apkārt / garām + DativeNext to, Opposite and Around
Blakus is another way to say next to, with the dative.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice pie + Genitive in Bubblegum
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