First Declension: -as, -is, -ys
The First Declension
vyras, vyro, vyrui, vyrą · brolis, brolio, broliui, brolį · arklys, arklio, arkliui, arklį
How It Works
Singular. The seven cases for each type:
- Nominative: vyras, brolis, arklys
- Genitive: vyro, brolio, arklio
- Dative: vyrui, broliui, arkliui
- Accusative: vyrą, brolį, arklį
- Instrumental: vyru, broliu, arkliu
- Locative: vyre, brolyje, arklyje
- Vocative: vyre!, broli!, arkly!
Plural. The types have parallel hard and soft patterns: vyrai, vyrų, vyrams, vyrus, vyrais, vyruose and broliai, brolių, broliams, brolius, broliais, broliuose. See plural case endings.
Place names. The locative matters for towns: Kaunas → Kaune, Panevėžys → Panevėžyje. Nouns in -ias, such as kelias (road) and svečias (guest), are soft too: kelio, keliui, kelią, kelyje.
Calling people. First names in -as take -ai in the vocative: Tomai!, Jonai! Many common nouns take -e: Drauge! (Friend!) Names in -is and -ys take -i and -y: Kęstuti!, Kazy! See the vocative.
-is: first or third declension? Most masculine nouns in -is, such as brolis, have a genitive in -io. Nouns like akis (eye) and naktis (night) have a genitive in -ies and belong to the third declension. A dictionary gives the genitive, so check it there.
Examples (6)
- Mano brolis gyvena Kaune.
My brother lives in Kaunas.
Kaunas becomes Kaune in the locative.
- Vakar skambinau broliui.
Yesterday I called my brother.
Broliui is the dative of brolis.
- Kieme stovi arklys.
There is a horse standing in the yard.
Word by Word: In-yard stands horse.
- Tomai, ateik čia!
Tomas, come here!
The name Tomas becomes Tomai when you call him.
- Į darbą važiuoju traukiniu.
I go to work by train.
Traukinys takes -iu in the instrumental.
- Parke mačiau du arklius.
I saw two horses in the park.
Common Mistakes
Giving a first-declension -is noun the third-declension genitive.
Tai mano brolies knyga.Tai mano brolio knyga.Brolis is in the first declension, so its genitive is brolio. The ending -ies belongs to nouns like akis and naktis.
Using the nominative for the direct object.
Turiu vienas brolis.Turiu vieną brolį.The object of turėti is in the accusative: brolį. The number vienas agrees with it and becomes vieną.
Using -e in the locative of an -ys or -is noun.
Gyvenu Panevėže.Gyvenu Panevėžyje.In these first-declension patterns, -as nouns take -e (Kaune), while -is and -ys nouns take -yje.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The first declension organizes case forms of nouns in -as, -is and -ys.
Related Patterns
- Second Declension: -a, -ėThe Second Declension
The matching main pattern for feminine nouns.
Level 2 - Third Declension: -is, -iesThe Third Declension
Nouns in -is with a genitive in -ies follow a different pattern.
Level 3 - Vocative Address
Shows how to call someone: Tomai! Drauge!
Level 2 - Plural Case Endings
Gives all plural case endings.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
- People From Places: -ietis, -ietėPeople from PlacesLevel 3
- Fourth Declension: -us, -iusThe Fourth DeclensionLevel 3
- Diminutive SuffixesLevel 3
- Person Nouns: -tojas, -ininkasPeople Named by What They DoLevel 4
- Verbal Nouns: -imas, -ymasVerbal Nouns in -imasLevel 4
- Abstract Nouns: -umas, -ybė, -ystėAbstract NounsLevel 5
- Group NumbersLevel 5
- Foreign Names With Lithuanian EndingsLevel 5
And 2 more in the full list.
Words in This Pattern
Practice First Declension: -as, -is, -ys in Bubblegum
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