Genitive of Quality
adjective + noun, both in the genitive = of what kind: aukšto ūgio vyras (a man of tall height, a tall man)
How It Works
1. Before a noun. The phrase works like one big adjective:
- aukšto ūgio vyras (a tall man)
- mėlynų akių mergaitė (a blue-eyed girl)
- geros širdies žmogus (a kind-hearted person)
- vidutinio amžiaus moteris (a middle-aged woman)
2. After būti. The phrase can also describe the subject. The verb yra is often left out in the present:
- Ji šiandien geros nuotaikos. (She is in a good mood today.)
- Jis vidutinio ūgio. (He is of medium height.)
3. The adjective agrees with the feature. The adjective matches the genitive noun, not the person: aukšto ūgio vyras and aukšto ūgio moteris have the same phrase. Include a word that specifies the feature, as the adjective does in these examples.
4. Moods and states. English says in a good mood, but Lithuanian does not use the locative here. Say Jis blogos nuotaikos. (He is in a bad mood.) In the same way, a strong spirit is stiprios dvasios: Jis stiprios dvasios žmogus. (He is a person of strong spirit.)
5. Compare. A genitive noun with no adjective can name a type or material, as in aukso žiedas (a gold ring). See genitive nouns as descriptions. The question Kokios spalvos? (What color?) asks for a genitive of quality: Raudonos. (Red.)
Examples (6)
- Prie durų stovi aukšto ūgio vyras.
A tall man is standing by the door.
Word by Word: By door stands tall(GEN) height(GEN) man.
- Mano sesuo – mėlynų akių mergaitė.
My sister is a blue-eyed girl.
Word by Word: My sister – blue(GEN) eyes(GEN) girl.
- Ji šiandien geros nuotaikos.
She is in a good mood today.
Word by Word: She today good(GEN) mood(GEN).
- Mano senelis buvo geros širdies žmogus.
My grandfather was a kind-hearted person.
Word by Word: My grandfather was good(GEN) heart(GEN) person.
- Jis vidutinio ūgio, tamsių plaukų.
He is of medium height, with dark hair.
Word by Word: He medium(GEN) height(GEN), dark(GEN) hair(GEN).
- Atėjo vidutinio amžiaus moteris.
A middle-aged woman came.
Word by Word: Came medium(GEN) age(GEN) woman.
Common Mistakes
Using the locative for a mood, as in English "in a bad mood".
Jis šiandien blogoje nuotaikoje.Jis šiandien blogos nuotaikos.A mood is described with the genitive of quality. Standard usage corrects blogoje nuotaikoje to blogos nuotaikos.
Making the adjective agree with the person instead of the feature.
Tai aukštas ūgio vyras.Tai aukšto ūgio vyras.The adjective describes ūgis (height), so it takes the same genitive ending as ūgio.
How It Connects
Learn This First
An adjective and a feature noun both take the genitive to describe a quality.
Related Patterns
- Genitive of Possession
The genitive also shows whose something is, as in brolio knyga.
Level 2 - Adjective Agreement
The adjective in the phrase agrees with its own noun in the genitive.
Level 1 - koks / kokiaWhat Kind with Koks
Kokios spalvos? asks for a quality in the genitive.
Level 2 - Predicate Nominative
After būti, a plain noun or adjective is usually nominative; a quality phrase is genitive.
Level 1 - pilnas + genitiveAdjectives That Take the Genitive
Some adjectives take a genitive object, as in pilnas vandens.
Level 6
Practice Genitive of Quality in Bubblegum
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