Understanding the Genitive Case in Latvian: Expressing Possession and Relationships

What is the Genitive Case in Latvian?

The genitive case in Latvian is primarily used to express possession, relationships, and certain quantities. It answers the question "Whose?" or "Of what?" and is essential for indicating ownership or association between nouns.

When to Use the Genitive Case

In Latvian, the genitive case is used in several contexts, including:

• To show possession, similar to the English apostrophe-s ('s).
• After certain prepositions that require the genitive case.
• To express relationships between people or things.
• With numbers and quantities to indicate amounts.
• In negative sentences to replace the accusative case.

Forming the Genitive Case

The endings for the genitive case vary depending on the gender and declension of the noun. Here are some general patterns:

• Masculine nouns often end with -a in the genitive singular.
• Feminine nouns typically end with -as or -es in the genitive singular.
• Plural forms have their own distinct genitive endings depending on the noun class.

Examples of Genitive Case in Possession and Relationships

Using the Genitive Case with Prepositions

Certain Latvian prepositions require the noun following them to be in the genitive case. For example:

• bez (without)
• līdz (until)
• pirms (before)
• pēc (after)
• ap (around)

Example: bez drauga means "without a friend." Here, draugs (friend) changes to drauga in the genitive case.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Confusing the genitive with the nominative or accusative cases.
• Forgetting to change the noun ending according to gender and number.
• Using the genitive case incorrectly after prepositions that require other cases.
• Not applying the genitive case in negative sentences where it is required.