Masculine Nouns in -a and -e
Puika (boy) ends in -a but is masculine: say mazs puika, not maza puika. Its dative is puikam, not puikai. The other case forms look like māja: puikas, puiku, puikā.
How It Works
1. Puika. The most common masculine noun in -a is puika (boy):
- masculine agreement: mazs puika (a little boy), Mūsu puikas jau ir lieli. (Our boys are already big.)
- dative -am: puikam (to the boy)
- other forms as in māja: genitive puikas, accusative puiku; plural puikas, dative plural puikām
2. Words that follow the person. Some nouns for people are masculine for a man and feminine for a woman: pļāpa (chatterbox), paziņa (acquaintance), nejēga (dimwit), bende (executioner). The ending never changes, but the adjective and the dative do:
- Viņš ir liels pļāpa. — Viņa ir liela pļāpa.
- dative for a man: paziņam; for a woman: paziņai
3. Surnames. Many surnames end in -a or -e and are used for both men and women: Liepa, Roze, Zvaigzne. For a man, they are masculine and take -am or -em: Andrim Zvaigznem (to Andris Zvaigzne), but Ievai Zvaigznei (to Ieva Zvaigzne). See surnames.
Tip: think of the person, not the ending. If it is a man or a boy, the adjective and the dative are masculine.
Examples (6)
- Mūsu kaimiņiem ir mazs puika.
Our neighbours have a little boy.
Puika is masculine, so the adjective is mazs, not maza.
- Es iedevu puikam ābolu.
I gave the boy an apple.
The dative of puika is puikam, with the masculine -am.
- Mūsu puikas jau ir lieli.
Our boys are already big.
The plural puikas takes the masculine plural adjective lieli.
- Viņš ir liels pļāpa.
He is a real chatterbox.
Pļāpa refers to a man here, so the adjective is masculine: liels.
- Viņa ir liela pļāpa.
She is a real chatterbox.
The same noun for a woman takes a feminine adjective: liela.
- Es zvanīju Andrim Zvaigznem.
I called Andris Zvaigzne.
A man's surname in -e takes the masculine dative -em: Zvaigzne → Zvaigznem.
Common Mistakes
Using the feminine dative for puika.
Es iedevu puikai ābolu.Es iedevu puikam ābolu.Puika is masculine, so its dative ends in -am: puikam.
Making the adjective feminine because of the -a.
Mūsu kaimiņiem ir maza puika.Mūsu kaimiņiem ir mazs puika.The ending looks feminine, but puika is a boy, so the adjective is masculine: mazs.
Giving a man's surname a feminine dative.
Es zvanīju Andrim Zvaigznei.Es zvanīju Andrim Zvaigznem.For a man, a surname in -e takes the masculine dative -em.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Masculine nouns in -a and -e keep masculine agreement.
Related Patterns
- Fourth Declension: -aFourth Declension: Nouns in -a
The declension puika follows, apart from its dative.
Level 1 - Fifth Declension: -eFifth Declension: Nouns in -e
The declension of masculine nouns in -e, such as Zvaigzne.
Level 1 - Masculine and Feminine Nouns
Why most nouns in -a and -e are feminine, and why these are the exception.
Level 1 - Dative Endings
The regular dative endings, compared with -am and -em here.
Level 2 - Surnames for Men and Women
Surnames in -a and -e are shared by men and women.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice Masculine Nouns in -a and -e in Bubblegum
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