jūs + singular adjective

Polite Jūs with Singular Adjectives

Level 4

With polite jūs to one person, the verb stays plural (esate, buvote), but the describing word is singular: Jūs esate teisus to a man, Jūs esate teisi to a woman.

How It Works

What is plural and what is singular

  • Verb: always plural — esate, buvote, būsite.
  • Adjective: singular, with the person's gender — teisus / teisi, malonus / maloni.
  • Participle: singular — pavargęs / pavargusi, girdėjęs / girdėjusi.
  • Noun: singular — Jūs esate mokytojas / mokytoja.

See Informal Tu and Polite Jūs and Adjective Agreement.

Compound tenses
The same rule applies to tenses built with participles: Ar jūs esate girdėjęs apie tai? (Have you heard about it? to a man). See Present Perfect With Esu.

Pats and pati
Jūs pats taip sakėte. (You said so yourself, to a man.) To a woman, say Jūs pati. See Emphatic Pats.

Talking to a group
When jūs really means several people, the words describing those people are plural: Jūs visi esate teisūs. (You are all right.)

Examples (6)

  1. Jūs esate teisus.

    You are right. (to a man)

    Word by Word: You are right.

    Teisus is masculine singular.

  2. Jūs buvote pavargusi.

    You were tired. (to a woman)

    Word by Word: You were tired.

    Pavargusi is a feminine singular participle.

  3. Ar jūs esate pasiruošęs?

    Are you ready? (to a man)

    Word by Word: Q you are prepared?

  4. Jūs labai maloni, ačiū!

    You are very kind, thank you! (to a woman)

    Word by Word: You very kind, thanks!

  5. Jūs pats taip sakėte.

    You said so yourself. (to a man)

    Word by Word: You self so said.

  6. Jūs visi esate teisūs.

    You are all right. (to a group)

    Word by Word: You all are right.

    For a real group, the adjective is plural.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a plural adjective for one person.

    Jūs esate teisūs, pone Jonai.
    Jūs esate teisus, pone Jonai.

    The speaker is addressing one man, so the adjective is singular: teisus. Teisūs would mean several people.

  • Making the verb singular too.

    Jūs esi teisus.
    Jūs esate teisus.

    The verb always agrees with jūs, so it stays plural: esate.

  • Using the masculine form for a woman.

    Jūs buvote pavargęs, ponia.
    Jūs buvote pavargusi, ponia.

    The participle shows the gender of the person, so a woman is pavargusi.

How It Connects

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

jūs + singular adjectiveLevel 4Polite Jūs with Singular Adjectives

Learn This First

Polite jūs keeps a plural verb but permits singular descriptions of one person.

Words in This Pattern

Jūs