The Fourth Declension (-a)
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
The Fourth Declension covers most feminine nouns ending in -a or -e; just change the ending to match the case.
- Nouns ending in -a belong to the 4th declension (e.g., māsa).
- Nouns ending in -e also belong to the 4th declension (e.g., zeme).
- The stem remains consistent while the ending changes based on the grammatical case.
Meanings
The Fourth Declension is the primary category for feminine nouns in Latvian, characterized by endings in -a or -e in the nominative singular.
Feminine Nouns
Nouns representing feminine entities or objects categorized as feminine.
“Māsa ir mājās.”
“Zeme ir liela.”
4th Declension Case Endings (Singular)
| Case | Ending (-a) | Ending (-e) |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | -a | -e |
| Genitive | -as | -es |
| Dative | -ai | -ei |
| Accusative | -u | -i |
| Instrumental | -u | -e |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | Stem + -a | Māsa |
| Genitive | Stem + -as | Māsas |
| Dative | Stem + -ai | Māsai |
| Accusative | Stem + -u | Māsu |
| Instrumental | Stem + -u | Ar māsu |
| Question | Verb + Noun? | Vai tā ir māsa? |
| Negative | Nē + Verb + Noun | Tā nav māsa. |
正式程度
Māsa ir ieradusies. (Family arrival)
Māsa ir šeit. (Family arrival)
Māsa ir klāt. (Family arrival)
Māsa te! (Family arrival)
4th Declension Overview
Endings
- -a Nominative
- -e Nominative
Examples
- māsa sister
- zeme earth
Examples by Level
Mana māsa ir mājās.
My sister is at home.
Tā ir liela kaste.
That is a big box.
Upe ir gara.
The river is long.
Es redzu pupu.
I see a bean.
Māsas grāmata ir uz galda.
The sister's book is on the table.
Es dodu dāvanu māsai.
I give a gift to the sister.
Viņa pērk jaunu kasti.
She is buying a new box.
Zeme ir ļoti skaista.
The land is very beautiful.
Mēs ejam gar upi.
We are walking along the river.
Šī zeme pieder manai ģimenei.
This land belongs to my family.
Viņa runā ar savu māsu.
She is talking with her sister.
Kaste ir pilna ar āboliem.
The box is full of apples.
Māsa atgriezās no ceļojuma.
The sister returned from the trip.
Viņa uzdāvināja māsai skaistu kleitu.
She gifted her sister a beautiful dress.
Upe izgāja no krastiem.
The river overflowed its banks.
Zeme ir mūsu kopējais mantojums.
The land is our common heritage.
Māsas klātbūtne bija nomierinoša.
The sister's presence was calming.
Viņa veltīja savu dzīvi zemei.
She dedicated her life to the land.
Kaste tika atvērta ar lielu interesi.
The box was opened with great interest.
Upe vijas cauri visai pilsētai.
The river winds through the whole city.
Māsas vārdi skanēja kā pravietojums.
The sister's words sounded like a prophecy.
Zeme, kas mūs baro, ir svēta.
The land that feeds us is sacred.
Viņa lūkojās uz upi ar nostalģiju.
She looked at the river with nostalgia.
Kaste saturēja senus dokumentus.
The box contained ancient documents.
Easily Confused
Both are feminine.
Both have -a endings.
Mixing endings.
常见错误
māsa grāmata
māsas grāmata
Es redzu māsa
Es redzu māsu
ar māsa
ar māsu
dodu māsa
dodu māsai
zemei ir liela
zeme ir liela
pupu ir zaļa
pupa ir zaļa
kastes ir uz galda
kaste ir uz galda
runāju ar māsas
runāju ar māsu
upe ir skaistas
upe ir skaista
dodu dāvanu māsas
dodu dāvanu māsai
zemei vajag ūdeni
zemei vajag ūdeni
māsu ir mājās
māsa ir mājās
kastei ir atvērta
kaste ir atvērta
Sentence Patterns
Mana ___ ir mājās.
Es redzu ___.
Dāvana ir priekš ___.
Es runāju ar ___.
Real World Usage
Māsa ir mājās!
Skaista zeme.
Mana meita strādā.
Kur ir upe?
Pupa ir svaiga.
Cienījamā māsa.
Check the ending
Don't forget the case
Practice with family
Be polite
Smart Tips
Always identify the subject and object first.
Focus on the final vowel.
Learn the nominative and genitive together.
Look for the case endings.
发音
Vowel length
The -a and -e endings are short unless marked with a macron.
Declarative
Māsa ir mājās ↘
Falling intonation for statements.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
A-E are the ladies of the 4th declension.
Visual Association
Imagine a sister (māsa) standing on the earth (zeme). Both words end in -a or -e, representing the 4th declension.
Rhyme
If it ends in A or E, it's 4th declension, you see!
Story
My sister (māsa) walked on the earth (zeme) carrying a box (kaste). She saw a bean (pupa) and picked it up.
Word Web
挑战
Write 5 sentences using different 4th declension nouns in the accusative case.
文化笔记
Family terms like 'māsa' are used frequently in social settings.
Derived from Proto-Baltic feminine noun classes.
Conversation Starters
Kā sauc tavu māsu?
Vai tev patīk šī upe?
Kādu kasti tu meklē?
Kā zeme mainās pavasarī?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Mana ___ ir mājās.
Es redzu ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
Dodu dāvanu māsa.
māsa / ir / mājās
4th declension nouns end in -s.
A: Kur ir māsa? B: ___.
Which is 4th declension?
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Score: /8
练习题
8 exercisesMana ___ ir mājās.
Es redzu ___.
Find and fix the mistake:
Dodu dāvanu māsa.
māsa / ir / mājās
4th declension nouns end in -s.
A: Kur ir māsa? B: ___.
Which is 4th declension?
Genitive of māsa?
Score: /8
常见问题 (8)
A group of feminine nouns ending in -a or -e.
Check if it ends in -a or -e in the dictionary.
Most feminine ones do.
To show the grammatical role of the noun.
Yes, they are standard.
Using the wrong case ending.
No, English doesn't have noun cases.
Use flashcards and practice sentences.
In Other Languages
Feminine nouns ending in -a
Latvian uses cases; Spanish uses prepositions.
Feminine nouns (die)
German uses articles for cases; Latvian uses noun suffixes.
Feminine nouns (la)
French lacks a case system.
Particles
Japanese nouns are invariant.
Feminine nouns (ta marbuta)
Arabic case system is based on vowel endings.
None
Chinese has no inflection.
