Masculine Noun Endings (-s, -š, -is, -us)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
In Latvian, most masculine nouns end in -s, -š, -is, or -us, acting as the foundation for your vocabulary.
- Nouns ending in -s are the most common: 'draugs' (friend).
- Nouns ending in -š are rare but follow the same rules: 'brālis' (brother) is -is, but 'gailis' (rooster) is also -is.
- Nouns ending in -us are often loanwords or specific types: 'tirgus' (market).
Masculine Noun Endings
| Ending | Example | Meaning | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|
|
-s
|
draugs
|
friend
|
Masculine
|
|
-š
|
kaimiņš
|
neighbor
|
Masculine
|
|
-is
|
kaķis
|
cat
|
Masculine
|
|
-us
|
autobuss
|
bus
|
Masculine
|
Meanings
These endings identify the grammatical gender of a noun as masculine, which dictates how adjectives and verbs will agree with them.
Standard Masculine
The default category for most masculine nouns in Latvian.
“Draugs ir mājās.”
“Suns rej.”
Loanword Masculine
Foreign words adopted into Latvian often take the -us ending.
“Autobuss brauc.”
“Tirgus ir liels.”
Diminutive/Specialized
Specific endings for smaller or specific items.
“Bērns spēlējas.”
“Gailis dzied.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Noun + Verb
|
Draugs nāk.
|
|
Negative
|
Noun + nav + Verb
|
Draugs nav mājās.
|
|
Question
|
Vai + Noun + Verb?
|
Vai draugs nāk?
|
|
Short Answer
|
Jā/Nē
|
Jā, draugs nāk.
|
|
Plural
|
Noun ending changes
|
Draugi nāk.
|
|
Adjective Agreement
|
Adj(-s) + Noun(-s)
|
Labs draugs.
|
Formalitätsspektrum
Draugs ir ieradies. (Social)
Draugs ir šeit. (Social)
Draugs ir klāt. (Social)
Draugs ir uz vietas. (Social)
Masculine Noun Endings Map
Endings
- -s friend
- -š neighbor
- -is cat
- -us bus
Beispiele nach Niveau
Tas ir draugs.
That is a friend.
Autobuss ir liels.
The bus is big.
Kaķis guļ.
The cat is sleeping.
Zēns skrien.
The boy is running.
Mans brālis ir gudrs.
My brother is smart.
Tirgus ir atvērts.
The market is open.
Process ir garš.
The process is long.
Gailis dzied no rīta.
The rooster sings in the morning.
Šis statuss ir ļoti svarīgs.
This status is very important.
Viņa tēvs ir ārsts.
His father is a doctor.
Dators ir salūzis.
The computer is broken.
Suns rej uz svešinieku.
The dog is barking at the stranger.
Mūsu kaimiņš ir laipns.
Our neighbor is kind.
Skolotājs paskaidroja noteikumus.
The teacher explained the rules.
Vējš pūš spēcīgi.
The wind is blowing strongly.
Ceļš uz mājām ir garš.
The road home is long.
Šis jautājums prasa dziļu analīzi.
This question requires deep analysis.
Pulkstenis rāda pusnakti.
The clock shows midnight.
Viņa stils ir unikāls.
His style is unique.
Mēness spīd spoži.
The moon shines brightly.
Viņa intelekts ir apbrīnojams.
His intellect is admirable.
Šis gadījums ir unikāls vēsturē.
This case is unique in history.
Viņš ir īsts meistars.
He is a true master.
Dvēseles miers ir dārgums.
Peace of soul is a treasure.
Leicht verwechselbar
Both can end in -s.
Both are masculine.
Forgetting to change the adjective.
Häufige Fehler
Laba draugs
Labs draugs
Sirds ir vīrietis
Sirds ir sieviete
Autobuss ir maza
Autobuss ir mazs
Kaķis ir skaista
Kaķis ir skaists
Tirgus ir liela
Tirgus ir liels
Brālis ir maza
Brālis ir mazs
Process ir gara
Process ir garš
Dators ir laba
Dators ir labs
Suns ir gudra
Suns ir gudrs
Kaimiņš ir laipna
Kaimiņš ir laipns
Jautājums ir sarežģīta
Jautājums ir sarežģīts
Pulkstenis ir precīza
Pulkstenis ir precīzs
Stils ir unikāla
Stils ir unikāls
Mēness ir spoža
Mēness ir spožs
Satzmuster
Mans ___ ir labs.
___ ir liels.
Šis ___ ir svarīgs.
Viņa ___ ir unikāls.
Real World Usage
Mans profils ir atjaunināts.
Autobuss kavējas.
Mans statuss ir skaidrs.
Kukulītis ir svaigs.
Draugs nāk.
Jautājums ir sarežģīts.
Check the dictionary
Not all -s are masculine
Look at adjectives
Listen to natives
Smart Tips
Check the ending immediately.
Match the adjective to the noun's gender.
Assume -us is masculine.
Look for the -s, -š, -is, -us pattern.
Aussprache
S vs Š
S is like 's' in 'sun', Š is like 'sh' in 'ship'.
Statement
Draugs ir mājās. ↘
Falling intonation for facts.
Question
Vai draugs ir mājās? ↗
Rising intonation for questions.
Einprägen
Eselsbrücke
S-Š-IS-US: Remember 'S' is for 'Super' masculine!
Visuelle Assoziation
Imagine a big, strong bus (autobuss) driven by a cat (kaķis) and a friend (draugs) waving at a neighbor (kaimiņš). They all end in the magic masculine letters.
Rhyme
If it ends in S, Š, IS, or US, it's a boy, don't make a fuss!
Story
A friend (draugs) takes a bus (autobuss) to visit his neighbor (kaimiņš). Along the way, he sees a cat (kaķis) sitting on the road. All these characters are masculine.
Word Web
Herausforderung
Look around your room and name 5 objects. Check if they end in -s, -š, -is, or -us.
Kulturelle Hinweise
Gender is strictly observed in Latvian. Using the wrong gender can make you sound like a child or a non-native speaker.
In rural areas, diminutives are common, often ending in -is.
Urban speakers use many loanwords ending in -us.
These endings are inherited from Proto-Indo-European masculine stems.
Gesprächseinstiege
Kur ir tavs draugs?
Vai autobuss ir liels?
Kāds ir tavs statuss?
Kāpēc šis jautājums ir sarežģīts?
Tagebuch-Impulse
Häufige Fehler
Test Yourself
Draug___ ir labs.
Autobuss ir ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
Kaķis ir skaista.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
The bus is big.
Answer starts with: Aut...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Choose the masculine noun.
Kaķ___ ir mīļš.
Score: /8
Ubungsaufgaben
8 exercisesDraug___ ir labs.
Autobuss ir ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
Kaķis ir skaista.
ir / labs / draugs
The bus is big.
Draugs - ?
Choose the masculine noun.
Kaķ___ ir mīļš.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
No, most are, but some are feminine. Always check.
Check the ending: -s, -š, -is, or -us.
Yes, the ending changes to -i.
Yes, the basic gender rules are standard.
It will sound incorrect to native speakers.
Often, especially those ending in -us.
German uses articles, Latvian uses endings.
Use the S-Š-IS-US mnemonic.
Scaffolded Practice
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2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
El/Los
Latvian gender is encoded in the noun itself.
Le/Un
Latvian noun endings are more predictive.
Der
Latvian endings are more consistent.
None
Latvian is gendered, Japanese is not.
Al-
Latvian endings are specific to declensions.
None
Latvian is gendered, Chinese is not.
