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.
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.
Usage
Use viņa for the feminine third-person pronoun, and change the form to viņu, viņai, viņas, or viņā when the case requires it.
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.
Common mistakes
The nominative form is put where Latvian needs an object, dative, or genitive form.
Incorrect
Correct
Es redzu viņa.
Es redzu viņu.
Es devu grāmatu viņa.
Es devu grāmatu viņai.
Man patīk viņa balss.
Man patīk viņas balss.
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.
Usage
Use viņa for his or of him, but use viņam for to him and viņu for him as a direct object.
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.
Common mistakes
The masculine genitive is confused with the nominative, dative, or accusative forms of viņš.
Incorrect
Correct
Tā ir viņš grāmata.
Tā ir viņa grāmata.
Bez viņš mēs nesākām.
Bez viņa mēs nesākām.
Es iedevu viņa atslēgas.
Es iedevu viņam atslēgas.
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.
Usage
Use viņa as a demonstrative mainly when distance or contrast is clear, especially against šis or šī.
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.
Common mistakes
The demonstrative use loses clarity when the case does not match the Latvian noun or implied noun.
Incorrect
Correct
Šajā pusē ir kluss, šajā pusē ir troksnis.
Šajā pusē ir kluss, viņā pusē ir troksnis.
Es neņemšu šo krūzi, bet viņa.
Es neņemšu šo krūzi, bet viņu.
No šī puses ceļš izskatās šaurāks.
No viņas puses ceļš izskatās šaurāks.
Similar words
tā
Usage
Keep the personal and demonstrative uses apart, and choose the Latvian case form by the role in the sentence.
Common mistakes
viņa is often left unchanged where Latvian needs viņu, viņai, viņas, or the masculine base viņš.
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
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