tas ir
This Is and That Is
Tas ir + a noun says what or who something is: Tas ir mans brālis. (This is my brother.) Before a feminine noun, say tā ir: Tā ir mana māsa. (This is my sister.)
How It Works
Naming and introducing. Point, then name: Tas ir galds. (It is a table.) The same sentence introduces people: Tas ir mans tētis. (This is my dad.) English chooses between this, that and it, but Latvian simply says tas ir.
Agreement. The pointing word takes the gender and number of the noun after ir:
- masculine: Tas ir mans brālis. (This is my brother.)
- feminine: Tā ir mana māsa. (This is my sister.)
- masculine or mixed plural: Tie ir mani draugi. (These are my friends.)
- feminine plural: Tās ir manas grāmatas. (Those are my books.)
Ir is the same in the singular and the plural. See the present of būt.
Asking. Before you know what something is, use the general tas: Kas tas ir? (What is that?) The answer then agrees with the noun it names: Tā ir kafejnīca. (It is a café.)
A whole situation. When tas means "that" in general and not one particular noun, it stays tas, and a describing word takes the -i ending: Tas ir labi! (That's good!) Compare Šis galds ir labs. (This table is good.) See adverbs ending in -i.
Close by. To stress that something is near you, use šis or šī: Šī ir mana istaba. (This is my room.) All the pointing words are in this and that. To say that something exists somewhere, use ir for there is instead.
"That is to say". In longer texts, tas ir (short form t. i.) also means "that is, namely". In that use it never changes.
Examples (6)
- Kas tas ir? — Tas ir galds.
What is that? — It's a table.
Word by Word: What that is? — That is table.
- Tā ir mana māsa Zane.
This is my sister Zane.
Word by Word: That is my sister Zane.
Māsa is feminine, so the pointing word is tā.
- Tas ir mans brālis.
This is my brother.
Word by Word: That is my brother.
- Tie ir mani draugi.
These are my friends.
Word by Word: Those are my friends.
A masculine or mixed plural takes tie.
- Tās ir manas grāmatas.
Those are my books.
Word by Word: Those are my books.
- Tas ir labi!
That's good!
Word by Word: That is well!
Tas means the whole situation here, so the -i form labi follows.
Common Mistakes
Keeping tas before a feminine noun.
Tas ir mana māsa.Tā ir mana māsa.Māsa is feminine, so the pointing word is tā. Tas goes with masculine nouns and in the question Kas tas ir?
Keeping the singular tas before a plural noun.
Tas ir mani brāļi.Tie ir mani brāļi.Brāļi is masculine plural, so the pointing word is tie. For a feminine plural it is tās.
Leaving out ir.
Tas galds.Tas ir galds.Without ir, tas galds only means that table. To say It is a table, Latvian needs ir.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Tas ir uses the present of būt.
Related Patterns
- šis / šī, tas / tāThis and That
The forms of this and that in front of a noun.
Level 1 - ir (There Is)There Is and There Are
Says that something exists somewhere, instead of naming it.
Level 1 - kas / kur / kad / kā / kāpēc / cikQuestion Words
Kas tas ir? asks what something is.
Level 1 - Adverbs in -iAdverbs Ending in -i
Tas ir labi uses the -i form for a whole situation.
Level 1 - mans / tavsMy and Your
Often follows tas ir when you introduce people and things.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice tas ir in Bubblegum
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