A Latvian third-person pronoun covering the feminine she form, the masculine genitive his or of him, and a demonstrative that use for something farther away or already mentioned.
On this side the river is shallow, on that side it becomes deep.
Viņa diena man vēl labi palikusi atmiņā.
That day has stayed clearly in my memory.
Viņā ir daudz pacietības.
There is a lot of patience in her.
Similar words
tā
Meanings
Feminine third person
pronoun
everyday
neutral
Refers to a female person, animal, or grammatically feminine entity, especially as the subject form, with other case forms used for her, to her, and in her.
Examples
Viņa šodien strādā bibliotēkā.
She works at the library today.
Es vakar satiku viņu stacijā.
I met her at the station yesterday.
Viņas soma palika autobusā.
Her bag was left on the bus.
Es piezvanīju viņai pēc sapulces.
I called her after the meeting.
No viņas var daudz mācīties.
A lot can be learned from her.
Viņā ir daudz pacietības.
There is a lot of patience in her.
Similar words
Masculine genitive his
pronoun
grammar
neutral
Marks possession or close relation for a male referent, and also appears after prepositions that take the genitive.
Examples
Viņa tēvs dzīvo Liepājā.
His father lives in Liepāja.
Es neatceros viņa adresi.
I do not remember his address.
Bez viņa komanda spēlēja sliktāk.
Without him, the team played worse.
Viņa suns guļ pie durvīm.
His dog is sleeping by the door.
Pēc viņa runāja direktore.
After him, the director spoke.
Viņa lēmums pārsteidza visus.
His decision surprised everyone.
Similar words
Distal that one
pronoun
reference
neutral
Points to a person, thing, side, place, or time that is farther away, contrasted with something nearer, or already mentioned.
Examples
Šajā pusē upe ir sekla, viņā pusē tā kļūst dziļa.
On this side the river is shallow, on that side it becomes deep.
Es neņemšu šo krūzi, bet viņu.
I will not take this mug, but that one.
Viņa diena man vēl labi palikusi atmiņā.
That day has stayed clearly in my memory.
No viņas puses ceļš izskatās šaurāks.
From that side the road looks narrower.
Šī ēka ir jauna, bet viņa aiz parka ir veca.
This building is new, but that one beyond the park is old.
Viņā vasarā lietus lija gandrīz katru dienu.
In that summer it rained almost every day.
Similar words
tā
Etymology
FAQ
What does viņa mean?
viņa most often means she in Latvian, but the same spelling can also mean his as the genitive of viņš.
Is viņa the same as viņu?
No. viņa is nominative feminine or masculine genitive, while viņu is used for her or him as an object.
How is viņa used for her?
For a female referent, viņa is the subject form, with viņu, viņai, and viņas used in other cases.
When does viņa mean his?
viņa means his when it is the genitive form of masculine viņš, as in viņa tēvs.
Can viņa mean that?
Yes. It can work as a distal demonstrative meaning that or that one, especially in contrast with a nearer šī.
Comments & contributions
Know this word from another angle? Add a correction, a nuance, or a usage note. New posts go public after a quick review.