Plural -i, -as, -es, -is

Plural Nouns

Level 1

To make a noun plural, swap its ending. Masculine nouns take -i (galds → galdi), and feminine nouns take -as, -es or -is (māja → mājas, upe → upes, nakts → naktis).

How It Works

Masculine: -i

  • -s / -š → -i: galds → galdi (tables), ceļš → ceļi (roads)
  • -is → -i, usually with a consonant change: brālis → brāļi (brothers), skapis → skapji (wardrobes)
  • -us → -i: tirgus → tirgi (markets)

Feminine: -as, -es, -is

  • -a → -as: māja → mājas (houses), grāmata → grāmatas (books)
  • -e → -es: upe → upes (rivers), meitene → meitenes (girls)
  • -s → -is: nakts → naktis (nights), zivs → zivis (fish)

A noun keeps its own declension, so the masculine puika (boy) becomes puikas, while its adjective stays masculine: mazi puikas (little boys).

Agreement
Adjectives change with the noun: liels galds → lieli galdi, liela māja → lielas mājas. The numbers from one to nine have masculine and feminine forms too: divi galdi, divas mājas, četri krēsli, četras grāmatas. Only trīs is the same for both genders. See Numbers That Agree.

Verbs
A third-person verb has one form for singular and plural subjects: Brālis dzīvo Rīgā and Brāļi dzīvo Rīgā. Ir works the same way: Āboli ir garšīgi.

Nouns that are always plural
Some nouns are plural even for one thing: durvis (door), bikses (trousers), brilles (glasses), and mājas when it means home. See Nouns Used Only in the Plural.

Examples (6)

  1. Mani brāļi dzīvo Rīgā.

    My brothers live in Riga.

    Word by Word: My brothers live in-Riga.

    Brālis → brāļi: masculine -i with the l → ļ change. Mans becomes mani to match.

  2. Šeit ir divi galdi un četri krēsli.

    There are two tables and four chairs here.

    Word by Word: Here is two tables and four chairs.

    Galds → galdi and krēsls → krēsli, and the numbers take their masculine forms.

  3. Āboli ir garšīgi.

    The apples are tasty.

    Word by Word: Apples are tasty.

    The adjective agrees with the plural noun: garšīgs → garšīgi.

  4. Tur ir divas kafejnīcas.

    There are two cafés over there.

    Word by Word: Over-there is two cafés.

    Kafejnīca → kafejnīcas: the fourth-declension plural ends in -as.

  5. Kur ir biļetes?

    Where are the tickets?

    Word by Word: Where is tickets?

    Biļete → biļetes: the fifth-declension plural ends in -es.

  6. Ziemā naktis ir garas.

    In winter the nights are long.

    Word by Word: In-winter nights are long.

    Nakts → naktis: the sixth-declension plural ends in -is.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the singular after a number.

    Istabā ir divi krēsls.
    Istabā ir divi krēsli.

    After divi the noun is plural: krēsls → krēsli. Latvian shows the plural by changing the ending, not by adding an English-style -s.

  • Giving a feminine noun the masculine plural -i.

    Grāmati ir šeit.
    Grāmatas ir šeit.

    Feminine nouns in -a form their plural with -as: grāmata → grāmatas.

  • Leaving the adjective singular.

    Āboli ir garšīgs.
    Āboli ir garšīgi.

    The adjective must be plural too: garšīgs → garšīgi.

How It Connects

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

Plural -i, -as, -es, -isLevel 1Plural Nouns

Learn This First

Plurals build on all four basic declensions.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.