Nouns: Locative Case

01

Location, Built Into the Word

• Gyvenu Vilniuje.

  I live in Vilnius.

• Knyga yra namuose.

  The book is at home.

• Dirbu mieste.

  I work in the city.

Where English needs two words, "in Vilnius", Lithuanian simply puts Vilnius into the locative: Vilniuje.

02

"In" Something

It covers being inside or within anything, concrete or abstract:

• Kas yra dėžėje?

  What is in the box?

• Tai knygoje.

  It is in the book.

• Vanduo stiklinėje.

  The water is in the glass.

03

Time Expressions

The locative also names a longer period of time that you are "in":

• Ateityje.

  In the future.

• Praeityje.

  In the past.

• Vaikystėje.

  In childhood.

04

The Endings

The locative singular endings are clear and recognisable:

• vyras → vyre, brolis → brolyje (masculine)
• knyga → knygoje, gatvė → gatvėje (feminine, -oje / -ėje)
• sūnus → sūnuje, moteris → moteryje

In the plural the ending is a distinct -uose (masculine vyruose) or -ose / -ėse (feminine knygose, gatvėse).

05

"In" Versus "Into"

Be careful to keep this static location apart from movement towards a place, which uses į + accusative:

• Esu mieste.

  I am in the city. (locative, the "where" case)

• Einu į miestą.

  I am going to the city. (accusative, the "to where" case)

The locative answers "where are you?"; į + accusative answers "where are you going?".

06

Adjectives and Pronouns Agree

An adjective or pronoun describing a locative noun also goes into the locative - masculine -ame (plural -uose), feminine -oje (plural -ose):

• geroje knygoje

  in a good book.

• dideliame mieste

  in a big city.

• tame name

  in that house.

07

Countries, Cities, Places

The locative is how you say you live in or are in a country or town - the place name simply takes the ending:

• Gyvenu Lietuvoje.

  I live in Lithuania.

• Esu Vilniuje.

  I am in Vilnius.

• Dirbu Kaune.

  I work in Kaunas. (from Kaunas)

To say you are going to one of these, you switch to į + accusative (važiuoju į Vilnių).

08

A Few Set Phrases

The locative also lives inside several common expressions of place and state that are worth learning whole:

• Kelyje.

  On the way.

• Darbe.

  At work.

• Namuose.

  At home / in the house.