Nouns Describing Nouns

Level 2

English often uses a noun as a describer: a gold ring, a summer dress. Latvian puts that noun in the genitive: zelta gredzens, vasaras kleita.

How It Works

A noun used like an adjective

Latvian has many phrases where a genitive noun describes the noun after it:

  • material: koka galds (a wooden table), zelta gredzens (a gold ring), stikla glāze (a glass tumbler)
  • who or what it is for: bērnu grāmata (a children's book), sporta zāle (a gym)
  • time or season: vasaras kleita (a summer dress), ziemas zābaki (winter boots), nakts vilciens (a night train)
  • what it is made from: ābolu sula (apple juice), tomātu zupa (tomato soup), piena šokolāde (milk chocolate)
  • fixed phrases: dzimšanas diena (birthday), darba diena (workday)

Singular or plural?

Each phrase has its own fixed form. Things you count usually take the plural: ābolu sula (juice of apples), bērnu grāmata (a book for children). Materials and other things you do not count take the singular: koka, zelta, piena. See Genitive Singular Endings and Genitive Plural in -u.

The describer never changes

The genitive noun is not an adjective, so it does not agree. Only the main noun changes its ending:

  • koka galds (a wooden table)
  • Es sēžu koka krēslā. (I am sitting in a wooden chair.)
  • Tur ir koka mājas. (There are wooden houses there.)

Where an adjective goes

A real adjective comes first, and the genitive describer stays right next to its noun: liels koka galds (a big wooden table), jauna vasaras kleita (a new summer dress).

Owner or describer?

The form is the same as for an owner. The meaning tells you which one it is: tēva māja is father's house, but koka māja is a house made of wood. See Possession With the Genitive.

Examples (6)

  1. Virtuvē ir liels koka galds.

    There is a big wooden table in the kitchen.

    Word by Word: In-kitchen is big of-wood table.

    The adjective liels comes first. koka stays right before galds.

  2. Viņai ir zelta gredzens.

    She has a gold ring.

    zelts (gold) becomes zelta.

  3. Šī ir bērnu grāmata.

    This is a children's book.

    bērnu is the genitive plural: a book for children.

  4. Es nopirku jaunu vasaras kleitu.

    I bought a new summer dress.

    kleita changes to kleitu as the object. vasaras stays the same.

  5. Man patīk tomātu zupa.

    I like tomato soup.

  6. Rīt ir mana dzimšanas diena.

    Tomorrow is my birthday.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow is my of-birth day.

    dzimšanas diena is literally "day of birth".

Common Mistakes

  • Using the nominative for the describer.

    Man ir zelts gredzens.
    Man ir zelta gredzens.

    The describing noun must be genitive: zelts → zelta, koks → koka.

  • Making the describer agree like an adjective.

    Viņš sēž kokā krēslā.
    Viņš sēž koka krēslā.

    koka is a genitive noun, not an adjective, so it never changes. Only krēsls takes the locative: krēslā.

How It Connects

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

Nouns Describing NounsLevel 2

Learn This First

Nouns describing nouns use the genitive.