Module 10 · Prepositions and the sentence · Prievārdi un teikums · Level A1

The Preposition uz — Two Different Meanings

Prievārds uz — divas nozīmes

The most common and most treacherous preposition. One word — two cases — two meanings. A mistake here instantly gives away a foreigner.

uz + accusative = where to (direction)

Es eju uz skolu. (I'm going to school.) Braucu uz Rīgu. (I'm going to Riga.) Ejam uz kino! (Let's go to the movies!) Uz veselību! (To your health! — also a "toward" direction).

uz + genitive = where (on a surface)

Grāmata ir uz galda. Kaķis sēž uz krēsla. Use the locative for an address: Dzīvoju Brīvības ielā — I live on Brīvības Street.

English distinguishes "onto the table" (motion) from "on the table" (location) mainly through phrasing rather than case, but the underlying logic matches Latvian: motion takes one case, rest takes another. In Latvian, rest takes the genitive.

In the plural — dative

Both meanings merge: uz galdiem (onto the tables / on the tables), uz ielām.

uz and time

uz vienu nedēļu — for one week (a term, accusative) · uz rītdienu — for tomorrow · uz redzēšanos — "goodbye" (literally "to seeing [again]").

uz vs. the locative

"In the city" is the locative pilsētā; "on the street" is uz ielas; "at school" is skolā; "at work" is darbā (locative! — not uz darba). Rule: an enclosed space or institution takes the locative; a surface or a street takes uz + genitive.

“In town” is pilsētā, “at school” skolā, “at work” darbā. Uz ielas describes being on the street; a specific address uses the locative: Brīvības ielā, Tērbatas ielā.

Exercise

1) I'm going to the shop. 2) The keys are on the table. 3) We're going to the sea. 4) She lives on Tērbatas Street.

Open the lesson in the trainer — with exercises and a “done” mark →Module test 10