Masculine Nouns
The dictionary ending usually tells you a noun is masculine: namas (house), brolis (brother), arklys (horse), sūnus (son), vanduo (water). Adjectives then take a masculine ending: didelis namas.
How It Works
Masculine dictionary endings
- -as: namas (house), miestas (city), draugas (friend). This is the biggest group.
- -ias: svečias (guest), kelias (road).
- -is: brolis (brother), medis (tree), vokietis (German man).
- -ys: arklys (horse), mokinys (schoolboy).
- -us and -ius: sūnus (son), turgus (market), skaičius (number), Vilnius.
- -uo: vanduo (water), akmuo (stone), šuo (dog).
What changes with the noun
Adjectives match the noun: didelis namas (a big house), geras draugas (a good friend), šaltas vanduo (cold water). So do šis and tas (this, that), and the pronoun for it is jis (he, it). See Adjective Agreement.
Watch out for two traps
- The ending -is is shared with some feminine nouns such as naktis (night) and akis (eye). Most masculine -is nouns have a genitive in -io (brolis, brolio), while most feminine -is nouns have -ies (naktis, nakties). A few -ies nouns, like dantis (tooth), are still masculine.
- A small number of masculine nouns end in -a or -ė because they name men, such as dėdė (uncle). They still take masculine adjectives: geras dėdė.
Lithuanian has no neuter nouns. For the overview of both genders, see Two Noun Genders.
Examples (6)
- Tai didelis namas.
This is a big house.
Word by Word: This big house.
Namas ends in -as, so the adjective is masculine didelis.
- Mano brolis gyvena Kaune.
My brother lives in Kaunas.
Word by Word: My brother lives in-Kaunas.
- Arklys yra labai gražus.
The horse is very beautiful.
Word by Word: Horse is very beautiful.
Arklys ends in -ys, so gražus is masculine.
- Sūnus jau didelis.
The son is already grown up.
Word by Word: Son already big.
Sūnus ends in -us and is masculine.
- Vanduo yra šaltas.
The water is cold.
Word by Word: Water is cold.
Vanduo ends in -uo and is masculine, so the adjective is šaltas.
- Mano dėdė labai geras.
My uncle is very kind.
Word by Word: My uncle very good.
Dėdė ends in -ė but names a man, so it takes masculine geras.
Common Mistakes
Using a feminine adjective with a masculine noun.
Didelė namas.Didelis namas.Namas ends in -as, so it is masculine. The adjective must be masculine too: didelis, not didelė.
Treating a masculine -uo noun as feminine.
Vanduo yra šalta.Vanduo yra šaltas.Vanduo is masculine, so the adjective takes the masculine ending -as: šaltas.
Giving dėdė a feminine adjective because it ends in -ė.
Mano dėdė labai gera.Mano dėdė labai geras.Dėdė means uncle and is masculine, so it takes geras, even though its ending looks feminine.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Masculine nouns apply the general gender distinction.
Related Patterns
- Feminine Nouns
The feminine counterpart, with the -a, -ė and feminine -is nouns.
Level 1 - Adjective Agreement
Masculine nouns take masculine adjectives, as in didelis namas.
Level 1 - First Declension: -as, -is, -ysThe First Declension
Most masculine nouns in -as, -is and -ys follow the first declension.
Level 2 - Fourth Declension: -us, -iusThe Fourth Declension
Masculine nouns in -us and -ius, like sūnus, follow the fourth declension.
Level 3 - Fifth Declension: -uo, -ens, -ersThe Fifth Declension
Masculine nouns in -uo, like vanduo, add -en- in their other forms.
Level 3
Practice Masculine Nouns in Bubblegum
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