cits pēc cita
One After Another
Cits pēc cita and viens pēc otra mean one after another: Viesi nāca cits pēc cita (The guests arrived one after another).
How It Works
1. The forms.
- Masculine or mixed: cits pēc cita, viens pēc otra.
- Feminine: cita pēc citas, viena pēc otras.
The second word is genitive because of pēc (see pēc + genitive).
2. The first word matches its role. When the group is the subject, the first word is nominative: Jautājumi nāca viens pēc otra (The questions came one after another). When the group is the object, it is accusative: Viņš izdzēra trīs glāzes vienu pēc otras (He drank three glasses one after the other).
3. Time after time. The same shape works with time nouns. As a time phrase, the first word is accusative: dienu pēc dienas (day after day), gadu pēc gada (year after year).
4. Related phrases. Cits aiz cita also means one after another. Do not confuse these phrases with viens otru and cits citu, which means each other: Viņi palīdz cits citam (They help each other).
Examples (5)
- Viesi nāca cits pēc cita.
The guests arrived one after another.
Word by Word: Guests came other after other.
- Mašīnas brauca garām cita pēc citas.
The cars drove past one after another.
Word by Word: Cars drove past other (fem.) after other.
Mašīna is feminine, so the feminine forms are used.
- Jautājumi nāca viens pēc otra.
The questions came one after another.
Word by Word: Questions came one after second.
- Viņš izdzēra trīs glāzes ūdens vienu pēc otras.
He drank three glasses of water one after the other.
Word by Word: He drank-up three glasses of-water one after second.
Vienu is accusative because the glasses are the object; otras is feminine to match glāze.
- Dienu pēc dienas kļuva siltāk.
Day after day it got warmer.
Word by Word: Day (acc.) after day became warmer.
Dienu is accusative because the phrase says when, like katru dienu.
Common Mistakes
Using masculine forms for a feminine noun.
Mašīnas brauca garām cits pēc cita.Mašīnas brauca garām cita pēc citas.Mašīna is feminine, so both words are feminine: cita pēc citas.
Putting the second word in the nominative.
Viesi nāca viens pēc otrs.Viesi nāca viens pēc otra.Pēc always takes the genitive, so otrs becomes otra.
Confusing one after another with each other.
Viesi nāca cits citu.Viesi nāca cits pēc cita.Cits citu means each other. One after another needs pēc: cits pēc cita.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Cits pēc cita means one after another.
Related Patterns
- viens otru / cits cituEach Other
Cits citu means each other; cits pēc cita means one after another.
Level 4 - pa + Dative (One by One)One by One: Pa with the Dative
Pa vienam (one at a time) is another way to describe people coming in turn.
Level 5 - Genitive Singular Endings
Cita, citas and otra are genitive singular forms.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice cits pēc cita in Bubblegum
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