Agent in the Genitive

Level 5

English says by. Lithuanian simply puts the doer in the genitive: Knyga parašyta žinomo rašytojo. (The book was written by a well-known writer.)

How It Works

1. The basic pattern. A passive participle, like parašytas or mylimas, can name its doer in the genitive:

  • Knyga parašyta žinomo rašytojo. (rašytojas → rašytojo)
  • Paveikslas nutapytas Čiurlionio. (This painting was painted by Čiurlionis.)

2. Before a noun. In a participle phrase before a noun, the doer usually stands right before the participle: mano tėvo pastatytas namas (a house built by my father), visų vaikų mėgstama pasaka (a fairy tale all children love).

3. Pronouns. For by me, by you and so on, use the possessive genitive forms: mano, tavo, jo, jos, mūsų, jūsų, jų. Šis pyragas mano iškeptas (I baked this cake), not manęs.

4. Owner or doer? The genitive also shows who owns something. The participle tells you which one it is: tėvo namas is my father's house, but tėvo pastatytas namas is a house my father built.

5. Style. A passive with a named doer is common in writing. In everyday speech an active sentence often sounds more natural: Knygą parašė žinomas rašytojas.

6. Also without a subject. Genitive marking also appears in evidential sentences with neuter participles, such as the evidential Čia būta vilkų (Wolves have evidently been here).

Examples (5)

  1. Knyga parašyta žinomo rašytojo.

    The book was written by a well-known writer.

    Žinomas rašytojas → žinomo rašytojo, with no preposition.

  2. Tai mano tėvo pastatytas namas.

    This is a house built by my father.

    The doer comes right before the participle.

  3. Šis pyragas mano iškeptas.

    I baked this cake.

    Literally, this cake is baked by me. The doer is mano, not manęs.

  4. Tai visų vaikų mėgstama pasaka.

    It is a fairy tale that all children love.

    Visų vaikų is the doer of the -mas participle mėgstama.

  5. Paveikslas nutapytas Čiurlionio.

    The painting was painted by Čiurlionis.

    Čiurlionis → Čiurlionio.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the doer in the instrumental.

    Knyga parašyta žinomu rašytoju.
    Knyga parašyta žinomo rašytojo.

    Some languages use the instrumental for the doer. Lithuanian uses the genitive.

  • Using the genitive of the pronoun for by me or by you.

    Šis pyragas iškeptas manęs.
    Šis pyragas mano iškeptas.

    Pronoun doers use the possessive words mano, tavo, jo, jos, mūsų, jūsų and jų.

How It Connects

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Agent in the GenitiveLevel 5

Learn This First

An agent accompanying a passive participle takes the genitive without a preposition.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

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