mans / tavs
My and Your
The ending follows the thing, not the owner: mans brālis (my brother), mana māsa (my sister), tavi draugi (your friends), tavas grāmatas (your books).
How It Works
Four forms each.
- masculine singular: mans draugs, tavs draugs (my/your friend)
- feminine singular: mana māja, tava māja (my/your house)
- masculine plural: mani draugi, tavi draugi
- feminine plural: manas grāmatas, tavas grāmatas
The gender is the gender of the noun. The owner does not matter: Anna says mans tēvs (my father), and Jānis says mana māte (my mother).
Other cases. They change their endings with the noun, just like adjectives: Es redzu tavu māju. (I see your house.) Mana māsa dzīvo tavā ielā. (My sister lives on your street.) After ir they can stand alone: Šī grāmata ir mana. (This book is mine.)
Your: tavs or jūsu? Tavs goes with tu: a friend, a relative or a child. With someone you call jūs, or with several people, use jūsu: Vai tā ir jūsu soma? (Is that your bag?) See informal tu and polite jūs. Our, his, her and their are in his, her, our and their.
Your own things. When the owner is also the subject of the sentence, Latvian often uses savs: Es lasu savu grāmatu. (I am reading my book.)
Two different mani. Mani draugi means "my friends", but mani is also the word for "me": Mani sauc Līga. (My name is Līga.) See object pronouns.
Examples (6)
- Mans brālis dzīvo Rīgā.
My brother lives in Riga.
Word by Word: My brother lives in-Riga.
- Mana māja ir maza.
My house is small.
Word by Word: My house is small.
Māja is feminine, so my is mana.
- Tavi draugi ir šeit.
Your friends are here.
Word by Word: Your friends are here.
- Kur ir tavas atslēgas?
Where are your keys?
Word by Word: Where are your keys?
- Es redzu tavu māju.
I see your house.
Word by Word: I see your house.
As an object, both māja and tava change: tavu māju.
- Šī grāmata ir mana.
This book is mine.
Word by Word: This book is my.
Common Mistakes
Choosing the form by the speaker instead of by the thing owned.
Mans māte ir ārste.Mana māte ir ārste.Māte is feminine, so the possessive is mana, whoever is speaking.
Using man (to me) instead of mans (my) inside a phrase.
Viņš strādā ar man brāli.Viņš strādā ar manu brāli.Man means to me, as in man ir and man patīk. Inside a phrase such as ar manu brāli (with my brother), my must be mans with the noun's ending: manu. Everyday speech also allows Man brālis dzīvo Rīgā, but that pattern does not work inside a phrase.
How It Connects
Learn This First
My and your agree with the noun and match the person.
Related Patterns
- viņa / viņas / mūsu / jūsu / viņuHis, Her, Our and Their
His, her, our, your (plural or polite) and their, which never change.
Level 1 - savsOne's Own: Savs
Used instead of mans or tavs when the owner is the subject.
Level 2 - Adjective Agreement
Mans and tavs take the same endings as adjectives.
Level 1 - tu / jūsInformal Tu and Polite Jūs
Tavs goes with tu; jūsu goes with polite jūs.
Level 2 - mani / tevi / viņuObject Pronouns
Mani also means me, as in Mani sauc.
Level 1 - Definite Adjectives After My and This
After mans, an adjective usually takes the definite ending: mans jaunais dators.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice mans / tavs in Bubblegum
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