Short Locatives in Speech and Song

Level 6

Lietuvoj = Lietuvoje, gatvėj = gatvėje, namuos = namuose. The meaning is the same; the endings are shortened.

How It Works

1. Which endings shorten.

  • -oje → -oj: Lietuvoj (in Lithuania), mokykloj (at school)
  • -ėje → -ėj: gatvėj (in the street)
  • -yje → -y: širdy (in the heart)
  • -uje → -uj: turguj (at the market)
  • -uose → -uos: namuos (at home), kapuos (in the graves)

The masculine ending -e of words like mieste (in town) is not shortened in standard speech.

2. Where you hear them. Short locatives are very common in relaxed speech, often next to the short verb endings and other spoken short forms. They are also a normal part of poetry and song, where they help a line fit the rhythm. Maironis's poem Lietuva brangi has the line Šalis, kur miega kapuos didvyriai (The land where heroes sleep in their graves).

3. In writing. In essays, letters and official texts, write the full endings: Lietuvoje, gatvėje, namuose. Full forms are a useful default for learners; short forms also occur in informal writing.

4. Still a place, not a direction. Shortening does not change the case. Namuos means at home. For home as a direction, use namo.

Examples (6)

  1. Gyvenu Lietuvoj.

    I live in Lithuania.

    Spoken form of Gyvenu Lietuvoje.

  2. Visą dieną sėdėjau namuos.

    I stayed at home all day.

    Namuos is short for namuose.

  3. Mašina stovi gatvėj.

    The car is parked in the street.

  4. Tu visada mano širdy.

    You are always in my heart.

    Širdy is short for širdyje. It is very common in songs.

  5. Turguj viskas brangu.

    Everything is expensive at the market.

  6. Šalis, kur miega kapuos didvyriai

    The land where heroes sleep in their graves

    A line from Maironis's poem Lietuva brangi. Kapuos is short for kapuose.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the short locative namuos as a direction.

    Einu namuos.
    Einu namo.

    Namuos is still a locative and means at home. To say you are going home, use namo.

  • Cutting off the masculine ending -e.

    Esu miest.
    Esu mieste.

    Long locative endings such as -oje, -ėje, -yje, -uje and -uose can shorten; the one-letter ending -e in mieste stays. Standard speech keeps mieste.

How It Connects

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

Short Locatives in Speech and SongLevel 6

Learn This First

Short locatives retain the meaning of their full forms in speech and song.