caur / gar / ap / pret / starp + Accusative

Through, Along, Around, Against and Between

Level 3

Use the accusative after caur (through), gar (along), ap (around), pret (against) and starp (between): caur mežu, gar upi. A plural noun takes the dative: starp mājām.

How It Works

1. The five prepositions.

  • caur — through: caur mežu, caur logu (through the window)
  • gar — along: gar upi, gar jūru (along the sea)
  • ap — around: ap galdu; with a time it means about: ap pusdienlaiku (around lunchtime)
  • pret — against: pret sienu; also toward a person or against an illness: laipns pret mani (kind to me), zāles pret klepu (cough medicine)
  • starp — between, among: starp māju un veikalu, starp draugiem (among friends)

2. Plural nouns take the dative. caur mežiem, gar krastiem (along the shores), starp mājām, pret mums (against us). See plural nouns after prepositions.

3. Starp with two nouns. When starp links two singular nouns, both are accusative: starp banku un grāmatnīcu, starp tevi un mani (between you and me).

4. Similar words. Apkārt, pretī and garām take the dative, so ap māju and apkārt mājai mean the same. Pa also moves through a place, but it stays inside it: staigāt pa mežu (to walk about in the forest) versus iet caur mežu (to go through the forest and out the other side).

Examples (6)

  1. Mēs gājām caur mežu.

    We walked through the forest.

    Word by Word: We went through forest.

    Mežs → accusative mežu.

  2. Gar upi ved taciņa.

    A path runs along the river.

    Upe → accusative upi.

  3. Visa ģimene sēdēja ap galdu.

    The whole family sat around the table.

    Galds → accusative galdu.

  4. Viņš atspiedās pret sienu.

    He leaned against the wall.

    Siena → accusative sienu.

  5. Kafejnīca ir starp banku un grāmatnīcu.

    The café is between the bank and the bookshop.

    Both singular nouns are accusative.

  6. Vilciens brauc caur mazām pilsētām.

    The train goes through small towns.

    A plural noun and its adjective take the dative: mazām pilsētām.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the accusative plural after these prepositions.

    Vilciens brauc caur mazās pilsētas.
    Vilciens brauc caur mazām pilsētām.

    The accusative is only for the singular. In the plural, caur takes the dative.

  • Using the genitive, as after pie or aiz.

    Kafejnīca ir starp bankas un grāmatnīcas.
    Kafejnīca ir starp banku un grāmatnīcu.

    Starp takes the accusative in the singular, for both nouns.

  • Using the dative with pret, as with pretī.

    Viņš atspiedās pret sienai.
    Viņš atspiedās pret sienu.

    Pret takes the accusative. The dative belongs to pretī: pretī sienai (facing the wall).

How It Connects

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

caur / gar / ap / pret / starp + AccusativeLevel 3Through, Along, Around, Against and Between

Learn This First

Some prepositions take the accusative.

Words in This Pattern

caurpret