Nouns: Declensions

This article is based on infkf.github.io/litsheets

Lithuanian has five declension types. Every noun belongs to one type, which determines all its case endings.

1st Declension — Masculine (-as)

Example: vyras (man)

💡 Note: Most masculine nouns and male first names end in -as or -is (see 3rd declension).

2nd Declension — Feminine (-a and -ė)

Type -a: knyga (book)

Type -ė: gatvė (street)

3rd Declension — -is (Masculine and Feminine)

Masculine: paukštis (bird)

💡 Palatalization: In 3rd-declension masculine nouns, the final stem consonant softens before front vowels: t → č, d → dž, s → š (e.g. before -io, -iu, -iai).

Feminine: moteris (woman)

4th Declension — -us

Example: sūnus (son)

5th Declension — Irregular Nouns

A small group of masculine nouns with irregular stems.

Example Sentences

• Vyras skaito knygą. — The man is reading a book.
• Paukštis skrenda gatvės link. — The bird is flying toward the street.
• Sūnus eina pas motiną. — The son is going to his mother.
• Šuo bėga per kiemą. — The dog is running across the yard.