Lithuanian Grammar: Cases Made Simple(r)

The Elephant in the Room

Yes, Lithuanian has 7 grammatical cases. This means the ending of a noun changes depending on its job in the sentence. It sounds scary, but English has a tiny bit of this too (Review: He vs. Him).

Why endings change (Context is King)

In English, word order tells you who does what ("Dog bites man" vs "Man bites dog"). In Lithuanian, the endings tell you who does what, so the word order can be flexible.

The Big 3 for Beginners

Focus on these first:

1. Nominative (Vardininkas): The Subject (Who?). Dictionary form. Ex: Kava (Coffee) is mostly nominative.
2. Genitive (Kilmininkas): Usage/Possession/Of/After "No". Ex: Puodelis kavos (Cup of coffee). Noriu kavos (I want coffee).
3. Accusative (Galininkas): The Object (Receive action). Ex: Geriu kavą (I drink coffee - notice the ą).

Quick Practice

Mama (Subject) myli tėtį (Object - Tėtis changes to Tėtį). Mom loves dad.