uz + Accusative (Planned Time)

For How Long You Plan

Level 3

Say how long you plan something for with uz + accusative: uz nedēļu (for a week), uz brīdi (for a moment). A plural takes the dative: uz diviem gadiem.

How It Works

1. Planned periods.

  • Es braucu uz Rīgu uz nedēļu. (I am going to Riga for a week.)
  • Mēs īrējam dzīvokli uz gadu. (We are renting a flat for a year.)
  • Vai varu paņemt to uz brīdi? (May I take it for a moment?)

Ask with Uz cik ilgu laiku? (For how long?)

2. Case. A singular noun takes the accusative: nedēļa → uz nedēļu, mēnesis → uz mēnesi. A plural noun takes the dative, and so does a number before it (see numbers in other cases): uz divām nedēļām, uz trim dienām, uz diviem gadiem. Useful fixed phrases: uz laiku (for a while), uz visiem laikiem (for good), uz mūžu (for life).

3. Planned or lasted? Viņa aizbrauca uz Parīzi uz mēnesi. (She went to Paris for a month — that was the plan.) Viņa dzīvoja Parīzē mēnesi. (She lived in Paris for a month.) Two uz phrases in one sentence are normal: the first gives the direction, and the second gives the planned time.

Examples (6)

  1. Es braucu uz Rīgu uz nedēļu.

    I am going to Riga for a week.

    Word by Word: I go to Riga for week.

    The first uz gives the place, the second the planned time.

  2. Vai varu paņemt to uz brīdi?

    May I take it for a moment?

    Brīdis → accusative brīdi.

  3. Mēs īrējam dzīvokli uz gadu.

    We are renting a flat for a year.

    Gads → accusative gadu.

  4. Viņa aizbrauca uz Londonu uz diviem mēnešiem.

    She went to London for two months.

    In the plural, uz takes the dative: diviem mēnešiem.

  5. Uz cik ilgu laiku jūs braucat?

    How long are you going for?

    The usual question for a planned period.

  6. Viņš aizbrauca uz visiem laikiem.

    He left for good.

    A fixed phrase: uz visiem laikiem means forever.

Common Mistakes

  • Using uz for time that has simply passed.

    Es gaidīju tevi uz stundu.
    Es gaidīju tevi stundu.

    Waiting that already lasted an hour is plain accusative of time. Uz gives a planned period.

  • Using the accusative plural after uz.

    Viņa aizbrauca uz divas nedēļas.
    Viņa aizbrauca uz divām nedēļām.

    After a preposition, a plural noun and its number take the dative.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

uz + Accusative (Planned Time)Level 3For How Long You Plan

Learn This First

Uz + accusative can give a planned time.

Words in This Pattern