Surnames for Men and Women

Level 3

A surname agrees with the person. Bērziņš is a man, Bērziņa a woman. For Mr and Mrs, use the genitive of the surname before kungs or kundze: Bērziņa kungs, Bērziņas kundze.

How It Works

1. Masculine and feminine forms.

  • -s or -š → -a: Ozols → Ozola, Bērziņš → Bērziņa, Kalniņš → Kalniņa
  • -is → -e: Lācis → Lāce, Kalnietis → Kalniete
  • -a or -e → no change: Liepa, Roze, Zvaigzne (see masculine nouns in -a and -e)

2. Mr and Mrs. Kungs (Mr) and kundze (Mrs, Ms) follow the surname in the genitive:

  • a man, Bērziņš: genitive Bērziņa → Bērziņa kungs
  • a woman, Bērziņa: genitive Bērziņas → Bērziņas kundze

Notice that Bērziņa is both the man's genitive and the woman's nominative. Bērziņa kungs means Mr Bērziņš, and Anna Bērziņa is a woman.

3. Kundze for every woman. Kundze covers both Mrs and Ms. You use it whether a woman is married or not. In letters, you can add the first name: Cienījamā Zane Bērziņas kundze! (see forms of address).

4. A whole family. The masculine plural names a family: Bērziņi (the Bērziņš family), pie Bērziņiem (at the Bērziņš family's home).

Examples (6)

  1. Jānis Bērziņš un Anna Bērziņa ir brālis un māsa.

    Jānis Bērziņš and Anna Bērziņa are brother and sister.

    The same family name has a masculine and a feminine form.

  2. Labdien, Ozola kungs!

    Good afternoon, Mr Ozols!

    Ozols → Ozola, the genitive, before kungs.

  3. Kalniņas kundze strādā bankā.

    Mrs Kalniņa works at a bank.

    Her surname is Kalniņa, so the genitive is Kalniņas.

  4. Pēteris Lācis un Laura Lāce ir precējušies.

    Pēteris Lācis and Laura Lāce are married.

    A surname in -is becomes -e for a woman.

  5. Juris Roze un Ieva Roze strādā kopā.

    Juris Roze and Ieva Roze work together.

    A surname in -e is the same for a man and a woman.

  6. Vakar mēs ciemojāmies pie Bērziņiem.

    Yesterday we visited the Bērziņš family.

    The masculine plural Bērziņi names the whole family.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the man's surname for a woman.

    Anna Bērziņš
    Anna Bērziņa

    A woman's surname takes the feminine form: Bērziņš → Bērziņa.

  • Putting the surname in the nominative before kungs.

    Labdien, Bērziņš kungs!
    Labdien, Bērziņa kungs!

    Kungs and kundze follow the genitive: Bērziņš → Bērziņa kungs.

  • Using the man's genitive before kundze.

    Ozola kundze (for Ieva Ozola)
    Ozolas kundze

    A woman's surname Ozola has the genitive Ozolas, so she is Ozolas kundze. Ozola kungs is her husband or another man called Ozols.

How It Connects

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

Surnames for Men and WomenLevel 3

Learn This First

Surnames have masculine and feminine forms.

Words in This Pattern

kungskundze-a-e