What are common mistakes with Nominatīvs?

Learners use nominative where other cases are needed, especially after prepositions or as direct objects. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English has no case endings — learners may use nominative everywhere instead of accusative/dative. 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: Good transfer — Russian именительный падеж works identically. Plural formation differs though. 🇨🇿 Czech speakers: Excellent transfer from Czech nominativ. Similar paradigm structure. 🇩🇪 German speakers: Good transfer from German Nominativ. But Latvian has no articles, so case is shown only by ending.

Nominatīvs: rules, examples & exercises | Latvian Grammar A1

Nominatīvs

A1 — Lietvārdi

Nominative case — subject form and basic sentences

Can use nominative case for subjects and predicates in simple sentences

Nominative case — subject form and basic sentences

Examples

Students lasa grāmatu. — The student is reading a book.
Viņa ir skolotāja. — She is a teacher.
Bērni spēlē parkā. — The children are playing in the park.

LietvārdiA1

Nominative Case

Nominative case — subject form and basic sentences

Learning Goal

Can use nominative case for subjects and predicates in simple sentences

Exam Skills:VISC-A1

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Students lasa grāmatu.

The student is reading a book.

Viņa ir skolotāja.

She is a teacher.

Bērni spēlē parkā.

The children are playing in the park.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

Nominatīvs ir pirmais locījums. To lieto, lai nosauktu teikuma subjektu — kas veic darbību.

Jautājumi: Kas? (who? what?)

Dzimte	Vienskaitlis	Daudzskaitlis
Vīr. (-s)	galds	galdi
Vīr. (-is)	brālis	brāļi
Siev. (-a)	māja	mājas
Siev. (-e)	māte	mātes

Lietojums:

Teikuma subjekts: Skolotājs māca. (The teacher teaches.)
Pēc vārda ir: Viņš ir students. (He is a student.)
Uzruna: Jāni, nāc šurp! (Jāni, come here!)

Atceries: Nominatīvs ir vārda pamatforma — tā, ko atrod vārdnīcā.

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Learners use nominative where other cases are needed, especially after prepositions or as direct objects. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English has no case endings — learners may use nominative everywhere instead of accusative/dative.

Students lasa grāmatu.

The student is reading a book.

Students is in nominative (subject). Grāmatu is accusative (object).

Viņa ir skolotāja.

She is a teacher.

After ir (is), use nominative: skolotāja (not *skolotāju).

Bērni spēlē parkā.

The children are playing in the park.

Bērni is nominative plural of bērns (child). Masculine plural: -i.

Practice in course

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

A1 Course

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Put it into practice

Try a free exercise from the course

Frequently asked questions

When is Nominatīvs used?: Nominatīvs ir pirmais locījums. To lieto, lai nosauktu teikuma subjektu — kas veic darbību.
How is Nominatīvs formed?: Atceries: Nominatīvs ir vārda pamatforma — tā, ko atrod vārdnīcā.
What are common mistakes with Nominatīvs?: Learners use nominative where other cases are needed, especially after prepositions or as direct objects. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English has no case endings — learners may use nominative everywhere instead of accusative/dative. 🇷🇺 Russian speakers: Good transfer — Russian именительный падеж works identically. Plural formation differs though. 🇨🇿 Czech speakers: Excellent transfer from Czech nominativ. Similar paradigm structure. 🇩🇪 German speakers: Good transfer from German Nominativ. But Latvian has no articles, so case is shown only by ending.