Nouns: Accusative Case

01

The Direct Object

Whatever the verb acts on directly takes the accusative:

• Skaitau knygą.

  I am reading a book.

• Matau vyrą.

  I see the man.

• Myliu tave.

  I love you.

• Perku duoną.

  I am buying bread.

02

The Negation Switch

Negation reaches past the verb and changes the object as well. Negate the verb and its object leaves the accusative for the genitive, the of case:

• Matau autobusą.

  I see the bus. (accusative)

• Nematau autobuso.

  I don't see the bus. (genitive)

So the accusative is the object case of positive sentences.

03

With Verbs of Motion

After prepositions of movement towards a goal - above all į (into, to) and per (across, through) - the destination is in the accusative:

• Einu į parduotuvę.

  I am going to the shop.

• Važiuoju į Vilnių.

  I am driving to Vilnius.

• Einame per gatvę.

  We are crossing the street.

Keep this apart from being somewhere, which uses the locative with no preposition.

04

Duration and Extent

The accusative also expresses how long something lasts, with no preposition at all:

• Lauksiu visą dieną.

  I will wait all day.

• Mokausi vieną valandą.

  I study for one hour.

05

The Endings

The accusative singular is easy to spot - it ends in a vowel with a little hook under it (ą, ę, į, ų). The hook once marked a nasal vowel, but it has not done so for centuries: today it only means the vowel is long, and nothing goes through the nose:

• vyras → vyrą, brolis → brolį (masculine)
• knyga → knygą, gatvė → gatvę (feminine)
• sūnus → sūnų, moteris → moterį

06

The Plural

In the plural the endings are -us (masculine: vyrus, brolius) and -as / -es (feminine: knygas, gatves):

• Matau vyrus.

  I see the men.

• Perku knygas.

  I am buying books.

07

Time "When" and "How Often"

A handy extra use: the accusative names a specific time or a repeated one, again with no preposition:

• Kiekvieną dieną.

  Every day.

• Tą vakarą.

  That evening.

• Vieną kartą.

  Once.

08

Adjectives and Pronouns Agree

An adjective, demonstrative or number describing an accusative noun goes into the accusative too - masculine -ą (plural -us), feminine -ą (plural -as):

• Matau gerą draugą.

  I see a good friend.

• Skaitau tą knygą.

  I am reading that book.

• Perku naujus batus.

  I am buying new shoes.

The whole object phrase shifts together into the accusative.