Grammar 3.1:

3.1.1 Notes On Word Forms And Classes

3.1.11 MASCULINE u-STEM NOUNS are very few, but often used, and thus this rare pattern is kept alive. We are introducing the noun ledus, ledum of this declension.

3.1.12 Some masculine i-stem nouns like skapis, skapim CANNOT PALATALIZE ITS BASE -p, because it is a labial consonant. In the plural, therefore, it changes its stem vowel -i- to -j- AND KEEPS IT between its base and the plural suffixes: skapji 'closets', skapjem 'to/for closets'.

3.1.13 THE PRONOUN šis, FEM. šī IS NOT REGULARLY DECLINED, and it is best to memorize all its forms:

Note the variations in some of the feminine forms.

3.1.14 ALL ADJECTIVES FOLLOW THE a-STEM PATTERNS OF THE NOUNS as do all regular pronouns and cardinal numerals (see 2.2.16): liela māja -- 'big house', lielai mājai, etc., liels koks -- 'big tree', lielam kokam, etc.

Going together wit the nouns of other declensions, the adjectives keep their a-stem suffixes: biezs ledus -- 'thick ice', augstam skapim -- 'for a tall cupboard', tīra virtuve -- 'clean kitchen', jaunas plītis -- 'new stoves', etc.

3.1.15 PRESENT TENSE OF THE VERB iet.

The meaning of this verb is 'to go walk on foot. It never means 'to ride in/on a vehicle'. (For the latter sense, use the verb braukt: brauc, brauca, brauks.)

The 3rd common form iet is irregular.

3.1.2 THE LOCATIVE CASE indicates the meanings that in English are expressed by the prepositions in, into, less often on. The locative forms are derived from the noun principal parts in the ways described below.        

3.1.21 IN THE SINGULAR, LENGTHEN THE DECLENSIONAL STEM VOWEL OF ALL NOUNS:

3.1.22 IN THE PLURAL, THE FEMININE NOUNS LENGTHEN THE STEM VOWEL AND ADD -s:

3.1.23 IN THE PLURAL, THE MASCULINE NOUNS ADD A GENERALIZED SUFFIX -os:

a. An i-stem noun like brālis -- 'brother' would have its palatalized -ļ- in all plural forms, including locative: nominative -- brāļi, dative -- brāļiem, locative -- brāļos.

b. By now you may note that all masculine declination stems have a generalized set of suffixes in plural.

3.1.24 THE ADJECTIVES, REGULAR PRONOUNS AND NUMERALS FORM THEIR LOCATIVES AFTER THE NOUN a-STEM PATTERNS:

lielā mājā -- 'in a big house',
divās mājās -- 'in two houses';
manā kokā -- 'in my tree',
visos kokos -- 'in all trees', etc.
And similarly viņā -- 'in him/her',
viņos -- 'in them-masculine.',
viņās -- 'in them-feminine'

3.1.25 NONREGULAR PRONOUNS have the following locative forms:

manī -- 'in me',
tevī -- 'in you-singular',
mūsos -- 'in us',
jūsos -- 'in you-plural.',
šajā -- 'in this' (both masculine and feminine),
šajos -- 'in these-masculine',
šajās -- 'in these-feminine.'
And also trijos -- 'in 3-masculine'
trijās -- 'in 3-feminine'—although here the indeclinable trīs can also be used.

Instead of the locative singular šajā -- 'in this', two other common gender forms šinī and šai can also be used. In locative plural, there are common gender forms šais and šinīs that also mean -- 'in these'. We, however, will use the more regular locative singular com. šajā, locative plural masculine -- šajos and locative plural feminine šajās.

3.1.3 DECLENSION CHART. With this lesson, you are given a half-filled declension chart. The top half of it shows the regular declension patterns, the bottom part takes care of all the others. The forms introduced so far (including the locatives of this lesson) are already filled in. The forms which you have not yet learned will appear in the spaces that are now still blank. Use this chart for memorization and reference.

3.1.4 SENTENCE STRUCTURES

3.1.41 SENTENCES WITH PREDICATE ADJECTIVES. An adjective may follow a linking verb. It describes the subject and is called predicate adjective. Like the subject, it must take the nominative case and must agree with the subject also in the number and gender:

Koks ir augsts. -- 'The tree is tall.'

Virtuve bija tīra. -- 'The kitchen was clean.'

Šīs mājas izskatās vecas. -- 'These houses look old.'

Note that the pronoun modifying the noun displays its own features for the same number, gender and case: šīs mājas

3.1.42 THE ADJECTIVAL PRONOUN. Kāds (feminine - Kāda, plural - Kādi/Kādas) introduce questions that need the predicate adjectives in the answers. The pronoun must have the nominative case and anticipate the noun also in the number and gender:

Kāds ir koks? -- 'How is the tree?'
(ANSWER: Koks ir augsts.)

Kāda izskatījās virtuve? -- 'How did the kitchen look?'
(ANSWER: Virtuve izskatījās tīra.)

Kādas izskatās šīs mājas? -- 'How do these houses look?'
(ANSWER: Šīs mājas izskatās vecas.)

a. With the nouns this pronoun means 'What kind of?': Kādas mēbeles ir šajā istabā? 'What kind of furniture is in this room?'

b. This pronoun has a demonstrative counterpart in tāds, tāda 'such, of such kind': Tādas te ir visas mājas. 'Such / Of such kind are all houses here.'

3.1.43 LOCATIVES IN LINKING VERB SENTENCES are necessary ingredients if the predicate nouns and adjectives are absent. The locatives then act as adverbial complements, indicating where something is (located):

Māja atrodas dārzā. -- 'The house is located in the yard.'

Virtuvē ir plīts. -- 'In the kitchen (there) is a stove.'

(Note the expletive there in the last English translation, which is not an adverb, but an empty filler of the subject position before the verb.)

3.1.44 LOCATIVES IN ACTION VERB SENTENCES are optional additions, because the intransitive verbs need no complement. However, the locatives may modify such verbs by indicating where a certain action is taking place:

Mēs ejam. -- 'We are walking.'

Mēs ejam virtuvē. -- 'We are walking into the kitchen.'

3.1.45 THE PARTICLE : Kur introduces questions that have locatives in their answers:

Kur atrodas māja? -- 'Where is the house located?
(ANSWER: Dārzā.)

Kur ir plīts? -- 'Where is the stove?'
(ANSWER: Virtuvē.)

Kur jūs ejat? -- 'Where are you going?'
(ANSWER: Mājā. -- 'Into the house.')

Kur ir Jānis? -- 'Where is John?'
(ANSWER: Jānis ir te. 'John is here.')