cits / cita

Other: Cits

Level 3

Cits means other or different. Its ending matches the noun, like an adjective: cits veikals (another shop), cita krāsa (another colour), citi cilvēki (other people), citas grāmatas (other books).

How It Works

1. The forms. Cits takes ordinary adjective endings:

  • nominative: cits, cita; plural citi, citas
  • genitive: cita, citas; plural citu
  • dative: citam, citai; plural citiem, citām
  • accusative: citu; plural citus, citas
  • locative: citā; plural citos, citās

2. With a noun. Es gribu citu krāsu (I want a different colour). Viņa strādā citā uzņēmumā (She works at a different company). If the noun is already clear, you can leave it out: Šī krāsa man nepatīk. Vai jums ir cita? (I do not like this colour. Do you have another one?)

3. On its own, about people. The plural citi often means other people or the others: Ko teiks citi? (What will other people say?) Paired with daži, it means some ... others: Daži dzied, citi dejo (Some sing, others dance).

4. Else. After kāds and kaut kas and question words, cits means else: kaut kas cits (something else), kāds cits (someone else), Kurš cits? (Who else?). With nekas or neviens and a negated verb, it means nothing else or nobody else: Man nekas cits nav vajadzīgs (I do not need anything else).

5. Cits or vēl viens? Cits asks for a different one. Vēl viens asks for one more of the same: Lūdzu, vēl vienu kafiju! (One more coffee, please!) When there are only two, the other one is usually otrs: Viens brālis dzīvo Rīgā, otrs dzīvo Liepājā (One brother lives in Riga, the other lives in Liepāja).

6. Set phrases. starp citu (by the way), citiem vārdiem (in other words), cits citu (each other) and cits pēc cita (one after another).

Examples (5)

  1. Šī krāsa man nepatīk. Vai jums ir cita?

    I do not like this colour. Do you have another one?

    Cita is feminine to match krāsa, which is left out the second time.

  2. Viņa tagad strādā citā uzņēmumā.

    She works at a different company now.

    Citā is locative, matching uzņēmumā (at a company).

  3. Vai tu gribi kaut ko citu?

    Do you want something else?

    Kaut ko is the object, so cits follows it in the accusative: citu.

  4. Ko teiks citi?

    What will other people say?

    Plural citi on its own means other people.

  5. Daži bērni spēlē futbolu, citi lasa.

    Some children are playing football, others are reading.

    Daži ... citi means some ... others.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving cits in its dictionary form instead of matching the noun.

    Es dzīvoju cits pilsētā.
    Es dzīvoju citā pilsētā.

    Pilsētā is feminine and in the locative, so cits must be citā as well.

  • Using cits when you want one more of the same thing.

    Šī kafija ir ļoti garšīga. Lūdzu, citu kafiju!
    Šī kafija ir ļoti garšīga. Lūdzu, vēl vienu kafiju!

    The first sentence is grammatical, but citu kafiju asks for a different coffee. If you liked it and want another cup of the same, say vēl vienu (one more).

How It Connects

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

cits / citaLevel 3Other: Cits

Learn This First

Cits changes case like an adjective.

Words in This Pattern

citscitscitaciticitaskaut kas