Adjectives: -inis, -iškas

Adjectives in -inis and -iškas

Level 5

Two suffixes turn nouns into adjectives. -inis says what something is made of or what it belongs to: medis → medinis stalas (a wooden table), rytas → rytinis traukinys (the morning train). -iškas says what something is like: vaikas → vaikiškas (childish), draugas → draugiškas (friendly).

How It Works

-inis, -inė: material, time, type

  • Material: medinis (wooden), popierinis (paper), auksinis (golden), geležinis (iron)
  • Time: rytinis (morning), vakarinis (evening), kalėdinis (Christmas)
  • Type or relation: mokyklinis (school), as in mokyklinė uniforma (a school uniform)

-iškas, -iška: typical of, in the style of

  • vaikiškas (childish, childlike), draugiškas (friendly), tėviškas (fatherly), lietuviškas (Lithuanian in style)

Adverbs come from -iškas adjectives with -iškai: vaikiškai (childishly), draugiškai (in a friendly way), and of course lietuviškai; see Naming and Speaking Languages.

-iškas or a genitive?
For institutional names such as a hospital for children, use the genitive plural: vaikų ligoninė is a children's hospital, while vaikiškas means that something looks or acts like a child. See Genitive Nouns as Descriptions.

Agreement
These are ordinary adjectives: masculine -inis, -iškas, feminine -inė, -iška, masculine plural -iniai, -iški. See Adjective Agreement.

Examples (6)

  1. Virtuvėje stovi medinis stalas.

    There is a wooden table in the kitchen.

    Word by Word: In-kitchen stands wooden table.

  2. Rytinis traukinys išvyksta septintą valandą.

    The morning train leaves at seven.

    Word by Word: Morning train departs seventh hour.

  3. Ant stalo guli popierinis maišelis.

    There is a paper bag on the table.

    Word by Word: On table lies paper bag.

  4. Jis labai draugiškas žmogus.

    He is a very friendly person.

    Word by Word: He very friendly person.

  5. Nesielk taip vaikiškai!

    Don't act so childishly!

    Word by Word: Don't-behave so childishly!

  6. Mėgstu lietuviškus patiekalus.

    I like Lithuanian dishes.

    Word by Word: I-like Lithuanian dishes.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -iškas where you mean for or belonging to a group of people.

    Mano sesuo dirba vaikiškoje ligoninėje.
    Mano sesuo dirba vaikų ligoninėje.

    A children's hospital is vaikų ligoninė. Vaikiška ligoninė would describe a hospital that is childish.

  • Forgetting to make the adjective agree with a feminine noun.

    Nupirkau medinį kėdę.
    Nupirkau medinę kėdę.

    Kėdė is feminine, so the adjective takes the feminine form medinė, here medinę in the accusative.

How It Connects

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

Adjectives: -inis, -iškasLevel 5Adjectives in -inis and -iškas

Learn This First

The suffixes -inis and -iškas form adjectives with different kinds of meaning.