Adjectives: Definite (Pronominal) Forms

01

How They Are Made

Take the plain adjective and add the pronoun ending:

• geras + jis → gerasis (the good one, masculine)
• gera + ji → geroji (the good one, feminine)
• naujas → naujasis, mažas → mažasis, didelis → didysis

• naujasis telefonas

  the new phone (the specific new one)

• Mažasis broliukas.

  The little brother.

02

When They Are Used

• To point to a particular item already in mind, not just any one: gerasis = "the good one (that we mean)".
• As a noun on its own, when the thing is understood from context: Duok man didįjį. - Give me the big one.
• In names and fixed terms: Vytautas Didysis (Vytautas the Great).

03

Ordinal Numbers

The "first, second, third…" numbers very often appear in this definite form, especially in titles, floors and dates:

• pirmasis aukštas

  the first floor.

• Ketvirtasis skyrius.

  The fourth chapter.

04

With Superlatives

A superlative naturally points to one unique thing, so it readily takes the definite form:

• jauniausioji sesuo

  the youngest sister.

• geriausioji draugė

  the best friend (female).

05

They Decline as Well

Definite adjectives are not frozen - they too run through the cases, carrying the pronoun ending along inside them. For gerasis (the good one, masculine):

• gerasis

  the good one. (nominative)

• gerojo

  of the good one. (genitive)

• gerąjį

  the good one. (accusative)

These long endings are a mouthful, which is part of why everyday speech leans on the plain forms; recognising them, though, is enough at this stage.

06

Plain or Definite?

At this level the plain adjective is almost always acceptable, and Lithuanian itself often prefers it in ordinary speech. Treat the definite forms as something to recognise - especially in ordinals, names, superlatives and "the … one" expressions - rather than a choice you must make on every adjective. When you do meet a long -asis / -oji ending, read it as "the (specific) …".