The Accusative for Objects

Level 1

The thing or person a verb acts on takes the accusative: Es lasu grāmatu (I am reading a book), Es redzu brāli (I see my brother). In the singular this ending is -u or -i.

How It Works

Choosing -u or -i

  • -s / -š → -u: autobuss → autobusu, ceļš → ceļu
  • -us → -u: tirgus → tirgu, medus → medu
  • -a → -u: grāmata → grāmatu, tēja → tēju
  • -is → -i: brālis → brāli, skapis → skapi
  • -e → -i: maize → maizi, biļete → biļeti
  • feminine -s → -i: zivs → zivi, nakts → nakti

The singular accusative never changes the consonant: brāli, not brāļi. Masculine nouns like suns (dog) also take -i: suni.

Adjectives and pronouns
An adjective describing the object takes the same case: Es gribu karstu tēju. (I want hot tea.) Pronoun objects have their own forms, mani, tevi, viņu; see Object Pronouns.

Negative sentences
In everyday Latvian the object stays accusative after a negative verb: Es negribu kafiju. (I don't want coffee.) A genitive object here belongs to literary style.

When the thing is not an object
Some sentences translate English have or like but contain no object. The thing stays nominative: Man ir brālis. (I have a brother.) Man patīk kafija. (I like coffee.) A few verbs take a dative instead of an object, such as palīdzēt (to help): Es palīdzu draugam. (I help my friend.) See Verbs With Dative Objects.

Examples (6)

  1. Es lasu grāmatu.

    I am reading a book.

    Word by Word: I read book.

    Grāmata → grāmatu: nouns in -a take -u.

  2. Es redzu brāli.

    I see my brother.

    Word by Word: I see brother.

    Brālis → brāli: nouns in -is take -i, with no consonant change.

  3. Viņš ēd zupu un maizi.

    He is eating soup and bread.

    Word by Word: He eats soup and bread.

    Zupa → zupu, but maize → maizi: the dictionary ending decides between -u and -i.

  4. Vai tu gribi tēju?

    Do you want tea?

    Word by Word: [Question] you want tea?

    Tēja → tēju is the object of gribi.

  5. Es gaidu autobusu.

    I am waiting for the bus.

    Word by Word: I wait bus.

    Gaidīt takes a direct object where English needs for: autobuss → autobusu.

  6. Kaķis redz zivi.

    The cat sees a fish.

    Word by Word: Cat sees fish.

    Zivs is a feminine noun in -s, so its object form is zivi.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the object in its dictionary form.

    Es dzeru kafija.
    Es dzeru kafiju.

    Kafija is the object of dzeru, so it takes the accusative: kafiju.

  • Using the accusative after patīk.

    Man patīk kafiju.
    Man patīk kafija.

    With patīk the coffee is the thing that pleases, so it is the subject and stays nominative.

  • Giving an -is noun the ending -u.

    Es redzu brālu.
    Es redzu brāli.

    Nouns in -is form the object with -i: brālis → brāli.

How It Connects

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The Accusative for ObjectsLevel 1

Learn This First

Accusative endings replace the nominative endings of each declension.

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Patterns that build on this one.