The Proper Locative Case: Location and Topic
The Locative case specifies location ('in', 'on', 'at') or the topic of discussion ('about'). It is unique because it is always used with a preposition, such as w (in), na (on), or o (about).
Nouns:
- Singular Masculine/Neuter: Ending -e or -u. (e.g., w domu - in a house, o mężczyźnie - about a man, w mieście - in a city, o polu - about a field)
- Singular Feminine: Common endings include -e or -i (after a soft consonant). (e.g., na rzece - on a river, o siostrze - about a sister, na ziemi - on the earth)
- Plural (all genders): Often ends in -ach. (e.g., w domach - in houses, o mężczyznach - about men, w miastach - in cities, na rzekach - on rivers)
Adjectives:
- Singular Masculine/Neuter: ending -ym or -im. (e.g., w dobrym domu - in a good house, o ostatnim mężczyźnie - about the last man)
- Singular Feminine: ending -ej. (e.g., na dobrej rzece - on a good river, o ostatniej ziemi - about the last piece of land)
- Plural (all genders): ending -ych or -ich. (e.g., w dobrych domach - in good houses, o ostatnich mężczyznach - about the last men)
Examples: Moja książka jest na stole (My book is on the table). Mówimy o naszym domu (We are talking about our house). Oni żyją w wielkim mieście (They live in a big city). Dzieci bawią się na podwórzach (Children are playing in the yards).