Relative kurš / kura

Relative Kurš and Kura

Level 3

Kurš, kura, kuri, kuras start a clause about a noun: draugs, kuram es rakstu (the friend I am writing to). Match the noun's gender and number, then use the case your own clause needs.

How It Works

1. The forms (masculine, feminine):

  • nominative: kurš, kura; plural kuri, kuras
  • genitive: kura, kuras; plural kuru
  • dative: kuram, kurai; plural kuriem, kurām
  • accusative: kuru; plural kurus, kuras
  • locative: kurā; plural kuros, kurās

2. Where kurš is the natural choice. Latvian prefers kurš over kas in these cases:

  • the locative: pilsēta, kurā es dzīvoju (the town I live in)
  • after a preposition: kolēģi, ar kuriem es strādāju (the colleagues I work with). As usual, a plural takes the dative after a preposition.
  • the genitive, meaning whose: sieviete, kuras dēls ir ārsts (the woman whose son is a doctor)
  • when kas could point to more than one noun

In the nominative and accusative, both are fine: autobuss, kurš brauc uz centru or autobuss, kas brauc uz centru.

3. Whose. The genitive matches the owner, not the thing owned: puisis, kura māsa (the boy whose sister), meitene, kuras brālis (the girl whose brother), kaimiņi, kuru suns (the neighbours whose dog). Put it right before the thing owned.

4. Commas. As with kas, the clause is set off with commas: Draugs, kuram es rakstu, dzīvo Kanādā.

Examples (6)

  1. Šī ir māja, kurā es dzīvoju.

    This is the house I live in.

    Māja is feminine singular, and you live in it, so the locative kurā.

  2. Draugs, kuram es rakstu, dzīvo Kanādā.

    The friend I am writing to lives in Canada.

    You write to him, so the dative kuram.

  3. Vai tu pazīsti sievieti, kuras dēls ir ārsts?

    Do you know the woman whose son is a doctor?

    Kuras is feminine genitive, matching the woman who owns.

  4. Kolēģi, ar kuriem es strādāju, ir ļoti draudzīgi.

    The colleagues I work with are very friendly.

    Ar with a plural takes the dative: kuriem.

  5. Pilsēta, no kuras es esmu, ir maza.

    The town I am from is small.

    No takes the genitive, and pilsēta is feminine: kuras.

  6. Autobuss, kurš brauc uz centru, pietur šeit.

    The bus that goes to the centre stops here.

Common Mistakes

  • Copying the case of the noun instead of using the case the clause needs.

    Tā ir māja, kura es dzīvoju.
    Tā ir māja, kurā es dzīvoju.

    Māja is nominative in the main clause, but in your clause you live in it, so the relative word is locative: kurā.

  • Using the masculine form for a feminine noun.

    Māsa, kuram es rakstu, dzīvo Londonā.
    Māsa, kurai es rakstu, dzīvo Londonā.

    Māsa is feminine, so the dative is kurai, not the masculine kuram.

  • Matching whose to the thing owned instead of the owner.

    Tā ir sieviete, kura dēls ir ārsts.
    Tā ir sieviete, kuras dēls ir ārsts.

    Here kura is the masculine genitive, which would mean a man's son. The owner is a woman, so use kuras.

How It Connects

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

Relative kurš / kuraLevel 3Relative Kurš and Kura

Learn This First

Relative kurš agrees.

Words in This Pattern

kurškurakurākuramkuraikurukurikuruskuraskuros