Numbers in Other Cases

Level 3

Numbers from one to nine take case endings like adjectives: ar diviem draugiem (with two friends). Trīs is special: no trim pilsētām (from three towns).

How It Works

1. Divi as a model.

  • Masculine: divi, divu, diviem, divus, divos
  • Feminine: divas, divu, divām, divas, divās

Četri, pieci, seši, septiņi, astoņi and deviņi follow the same pattern: četriem, piecās, sešus. Viens changes in the singular: viena, vienam, vienu, vienā. See numbers that agree.

2. Trīs. Nominative and accusative trīs; genitive triju; dative trim (also trijiem, trijām); locative trijos, trijās. Viņš dzīvo kopā ar trim kaķiem. (He lives with three cats.) Viņa runā trijās valodās. (She speaks three languages.)

3. After prepositions. A number after a preposition follows the plural rule and takes the dative (see plural nouns after prepositions): ar diviem draugiem, no trim pilsētām, uz četrām dienām.

4. Clock times. At a time uses the locative plural: vienos, divos, trijos, piecos. Tiksimies pulksten piecos. (Let's meet at five o'clock.) See telling the time.

5. Numbers that never change. Desmit, vienpadsmit to deviņpadsmit, and divdesmit, trīsdesmit and so on have no endings. In a longer number, only the last part changes: ar divdesmit diviem draugiem (with twenty-two friends). See numbers above ten.

Examples (6)

  1. Es runāju ar diviem draugiem.

    I talked with two friends.

    After ar, a plural takes the dative: diviem draugiem.

  2. Viņa strādā divās vietās.

    She works in two places.

    Locative feminine: divās vietās.

  3. Mums ir divu istabu dzīvoklis.

    We have a two-room flat.

    Word by Word: To-us is two rooms flat.

    Genitive plural: divu istabu, a flat of two rooms.

  4. Viņš dzīvo kopā ar trim kaķiem.

    He lives with three cats.

    Trīs has its own dative: trim.

  5. Tiksimies pulksten piecos.

    Let's meet at five o'clock.

    Clock times use the locative plural: piecos.

  6. Viņa runā trijās valodās.

    She speaks three languages.

    The feminine locative of trīs is trijās.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the number and noun in the nominative after a preposition.

    Es runāju ar divi draugi.
    Es runāju ar diviem draugiem.

    After ar, a plural takes the dative. The number changes too: divi → diviem.

  • Leaving trīs unchanged where the dative is needed.

    Viņš dzīvo kopā ar trīs kaķiem.
    Viņš dzīvo kopā ar trim kaķiem.

    In the dative, trīs becomes trim: ar trim kaķiem, no trim pilsētām.

  • Using the nominative for a clock time.

    Tiksimies pulksten pieci.
    Tiksimies pulksten piecos.

    At a time is said with the locative plural: piecos.

How It Connects

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

Numbers in Other CasesLevel 3

Learn This First

Numbers change case.

Words in This Pattern

trīstrijutrimtrijiemtrijostrijāstrijāmdiviemdivāspiecos