Latvian Grammar List

Masculine plural objects take -us, while feminine plural objects look exactly like the plural subject.

Adjectives agree with their noun in gender, number and case, both before the noun and after ir: liela māja (a big house), Māja ir liela (The house is big).

Many adverbs are adjectives with the ending -i: labs → labi (well), ātrs → ātri (quickly). The -i form never changes, and it also describes weather and whole situations: Šodien ir silti (It is warm today).

Say atvainojiet to a stranger, to a group, or to be polite, and atvaino to one friend or child. Both get attention and apologize: Atvainojiet, kur ir stacija? (Excuse me, where is the station?).

A neutral Latvian sentence is subject, verb, object: Anna lasa grāmatu (Anna is reading a book). Endings, not position, show who does what, so the order can change to put the new or important part at the end.

Latvian diphthongs glide from one vowel to another inside a single syllable. In native words the letter o is the diphthong uo.

The fifth declension holds nouns ending in -e, most of them feminine. The object form ends in -i and the locative in -ē, and the consonant changes only in the genitive plural.

Most masculine nouns in -s or -š belong to the first declension: galds, galda, galdam, galdu, galdā. The plural ends in -i: galdi.

The fourth declension holds nouns ending in -a. Most are feminine, the object form ends in -u and the locative in -ā, and a few nouns such as puika are masculine.

Ask a friend Kā iet? or Kā tev iet? (How is it going?). Ask politely Kā jums klājas? (How are you?). The person is in the dative, and a usual answer is Labi, paldies. Un tev? (Fine, thanks. And you?).

Latvian greets by the time of day: Labrīt! (Good morning!), Labdien! (Good day, hello) and Labvakar! (Good evening!). All three are hellos, and each is one word. At bedtime you say Ar labu nakti! (Good night!)

The locative says where something is, meaning in or at, without a preposition. Its singular endings are the long vowels -ā, -ī, -ē and -ū.

Latvian gives names with saukt (to call): Mani sauc Anna (My name is Anna), Kā tevi sauc? (What is your name?). The person is in the accusative (mani, tevi, jūs, viņu), and the name itself does not change.

Latvian nouns are masculine or feminine. Most masculine nouns end in -s, -š, -is or -us, and most feminine nouns end in -a, -e or -s.

There are no articles in Latvian. Context, word order, words like šī (this) and definite adjective endings show whether a noun is new or already known.

The numbers are viens, divi, trīs, četri, pieci, seši, septiņi, astoņi, deviņi and desmit. With a feminine noun, one to nine take feminine forms (viena, divas, četras), except trīs, which is the same for both genders. Desmit does not change.

Latvian has one present tense. Es lasu means I read or I am reading, and Rīt es strādāju means I am working tomorrow. There is no separate -ing form and no helper verb.

Paldies means thank you, and lūdzu means please. Lūdzu is also the reply to a thank-you, like you are welcome: Paldies! — Lūdzu!

The plural subject form depends on the noun's dictionary ending. Masculine nouns take -i, while feminine nouns in -a, -e and -s take -as, -es and -is.

Verbs like redzēt (to see) and dziedāt (to sing) drop their vowel in the present, and the viņš and viņi form has no ending: redzu, redzi, redz, redzam, redzat, redz. Zināt is an exception and keeps -a: zina.

Verbs like lasīt (to read) and rakstīt (to write) drop the ī in the present: lasu, lasi, lasa, lasām, lasāt, lasa. The mēs and jūs forms have a long ā.

First-conjugation verbs have a one-syllable infinitive, such as nest (to carry). Their present is short: nesu, nes, nes, nesam, nesat, nes. Learn the present stem with each verb, because it can differ from the infinitive.

Second-conjugation verbs, such as runāt (to speak), strādāt (to work) and dzīvot (to live), keep the vowel before -t in every present form. Es, mēs and jūs add -ju, -jam and -jat; the other forms are just the stem: runā.

Būt is irregular: esmu, esi, ir, esam, esat, ir. It says who or what someone is, where they are, where they come from and what they are like.

Second-declension nouns are masculine nouns ending in -is. Their object form ends in -i and their locative in -ī, and most change their last consonant in the genitive singular and in every plural form.

Stress the first syllable: RĪ-ga, GRĀ-ma-ta, SKO-lo-tājs. A few everyday words, such as paldies and labdien, stress the second syllable.

The friendly greeting is an adjective, so it agrees with the person you greet: Sveiks! to a man, Sveika! to a woman, Sveiki! to a group or to anyone you call jūs, and Sveikas! to a group of women. It can also mean bye.

The direct object of most verbs takes the accusative. In the singular it ends in -u or -i, depending on the noun's dictionary ending.

The Latvian alphabet has 33 letters. Eleven of them carry a mark (ā č ē ģ ī ķ ļ ņ š ū ž), and each one is a letter in its own right.

Use the nominative, the dictionary form, for the subject of a sentence: Students lasa (The student is reading). It stays nominative wherever it stands.

Latvian has seven cases: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, locative and vocative. The ending shows who does what.

Uz redzēšanos! is the neutral goodbye for shops, work and strangers. With friends say Atā! or Čau!, wish someone Visu labu! (All the best!), or say when you will meet: Līdz rītdienai! (See you tomorrow!).

Arī means also or too. Put it before the word it adds, as in Arī Anna nāk (Anna is coming too). In a short reply, keep the form of the first sentence: Man patīk kafija. — Man arī! (Me too!).

Dz is one sound, like the ds in kids, and dž is one sound, like the j in jam. Neither counts as a separate letter of the alphabet.

Latvian has eight subject pronouns: es, tu, viņš, viņa, mēs, jūs, viņi and viņas. Viņi is for men or a mixed group, and viņas is for a group of women.

Put an infinitive after a form of gribēt or varēt: Es gribu ēst (I want to eat), Vai tu vari palīdzēt? (Can you help?). Only gribēt or varēt changes for the person.

Iet → eju, ej, iet, ejam, ejat, iet; dot → dodu, dod, dod, dodam, dodat, dod; ēst → ēdu, ēd, ēd, ēdam, ēdat, ēd. The endings are regular, but the stems must be learned.

To say that something exists somewhere, put the place first, then ir, then the thing: Te ir kafejnīca. Latvian has no extra word for English there in this sentence.

Answer yes with jā and no with nē, both with long vowels. Short ne means "not" and negates one word, as in ne es (not me).

The six basic question words start a question and need no helper verb: Kur tu dzīvo? (Where do you live?). Kas becomes ko when it asks about the object: Ko tu dzer? (What are you drinking?)

To say in which language you speak, use an adverb in -iski: runāt latviski (to speak Latvian), angliski (English), krieviski (Russian). The language itself is latviešu valoda (the Latvian language).

The dative pronouns are man, tev, viņam, viņai, mums, jums, viņiem and viņām. You need them for man ir (I have), man patīk (I like) and for the person who gets something.

Latvian says I have as there is to me: the owner is in the dative (man, tev, viņam, viņai), and the thing owned stays in its dictionary form.

When a pronoun is the direct object, it takes the accusative: mani, tevi, viņu, mūs, jūs, viņus and viņas. Viņu means both "him" and "her".

Mans means my, and tavs means your when you say tu. Both agree with the thing owned, like adjectives: mans brālis, mana māsa, tavi draugi, tavas grāmatas.

Latvian uses one word, mājās, for both at home and going home. The singular mājā means in the house as a building.

To say is not or are not, join ne- to the forms of būt. The third person is the exception: its negative is nav, never ne ir.

To say "not", write ne- as one word with the verb: nerunāju, nezinu, negribam. The only exception is ir, whose negative is nav.

To say where you are from, use no with the genitive: Es esmu no Latvijas (I am from Latvia), Viņš ir no Rīgas (He is from Riga). Ask No kurienes tu esi? (Where are you from?).

Latvian says that a thing pleases someone. The person who likes goes in the dative and the thing liked stays in the nominative: Man patīk kafija (I like coffee), Vai tev patīk Rīga? (Do you like Riga?), Viņai patīk suņi (She likes dogs).

Tas ir names or introduces something: Tas ir galds (It is a table). The pointing word agrees with the noun that follows: tā before a feminine noun, tie and tās before plurals.

Uz with the accusative means to: Es braucu uz Rīgu (I am going to Riga), Es eju uz darbu (I am going to work), uz veikalu (to the shop). With a plural name it takes the dative: uz Cēsīm.

Put vai in front of an ordinary sentence to ask a yes-no question: Tu runā latviski → Vai tu runā latviski? The word order and the verb stay the same.

For his, her, our, your (plural or polite) and their, Latvian uses the genitive of the personal pronouns: viņa, viņas, mūsu, jūsu, viņu. Unlike mans and tavs, they never change: viņa māja, viņa brālis, viņa mājā.

The macron marks a long vowel. Short and long vowels make different words, so pile is a drop but pīle is a duck.

Č sounds like English ch, š like sh, and ž like the s in measure. Each is one letter, never two.

Ģ, ķ, ļ and ņ are soft versions of g, k, l and n. They are separate letters, and the comma can change the meaning of a word.

Šeit and te both mean here, and tur means there. They never change their form: Es dzīvoju šeit (I live here), Tur ir mans draugs (My friend is over there).

Šis and šī mean this, and tas and tā mean that. They agree with the noun: šis galds (this table), šī māja (this house), tie zēni (those boys), tās grāmatas (those books).

Šodien (today), rīt (tomorrow), vakar (yesterday), parīt (the day after tomorrow) and aizvakar (the day before yesterday) are adverbs, so their form never changes: Rīt es braucu uz Rīgu (Tomorrow I am going to Riga).

Adjectives copy the noun's case: labam draugam (to a good friend), lielā pilsētā (in a big city), ar jaunu draugu (with a new friend), no mazas pilsētas (from a small town).

Latvian gives age by saying how many years a person has: Man ir divdesmit pieci gadi (I am twenty-five). Ask with Cik tev ir gadu?

Words of quantity and containers take the genitive: daudz cilvēku (many people), maz laika (little time), glāze ūdens (a glass of water), kilograms ābolu (a kilo of apples).

Place names take the locative for in, with no preposition: Latvijā (in Latvia), Rīgā, Liepājā, Ventspilī (in Ventspils). Plural names use plural endings: Cēsīs (in Cēsis), Talsos (in Talsi).

Capital letters start a sentence and mark real names. Days, months, nationalities, language words and es (I) stay lowercase, and Jūs is capitalized in letters.

Some endings soften the consonant before them: l → ļ, n → ņ, s and t → š, z and d → ž, c → č, and p, b, m, v add j. It happens in the 2nd declension genitive singular and all plural forms, and in the 5th and 6th declension genitive plural.

The dative marks the person something is given to or meant for. Masculine nouns end in -am, -im or -um and feminine nouns in -ai, -ei or -ij. In the plural, the masculine declensions end in -iem and the others in -ām, -ēm or -īm.

The days are pirmdiena, otrdiena, trešdiena, ceturtdiena, piektdiena, sestdiena and svētdiena. On a day uses a short form without an ending: pirmdien (on Monday), svētdien (on Sunday).

All declensions form the genitive plural with -u, often with a consonant change: galdu, brāļu, māju, upju, siržu. A few nouns keep their consonant: acu, ausu, valstu.

The genitive singular ends in -a for nouns in -s, -š and -is, in -us for nouns in -us, and in -as, -es or -s for feminine nouns: galda, brāļa, tirgus, mājas, upes, sirds.

The receiver of something goes in the dative, with no preposition: Es dodu grāmatu brālim, Nopirku draudzenei ziedus.

Verbs of motion can take an infinitive of purpose with no linking word: Es eju gulēt (I am going to bed), Viņš iet pusdienot (He is going to have lunch), Mēs braucam peldēties (We are going swimming).

The accusative gives duration and repetition: visu dienu (all day), divas stundas (for two hours), katru rītu (every morning). Frequency uses the locative: divas reizes nedēļā (twice a week).

Months, seasons and parts of the day take the locative: janvārī (in January), vasarā (in summer), vakarā (in the evening), naktī (at night). Morning is different: no rīta (in the morning).

Lai forms many everyday good wishes: Lai veicas! (Good luck!), Lai labi garšo! (Enjoy your meal!), Lai jauka diena! (Have a nice day!).

When the verb ending makes the person clear, es, tu, mēs and jūs can be left out: Strādāju Rīgā (I work in Riga), Runājam latviski (We speak Latvian). Third-person pronouns are usually kept.

The plural locative ends in -os, -ās, -ēs or -īs and means in or at: kalnos (in the mountains), laukos (in the countryside), mežos (in the forests), pilsētās (in the cities), upēs (in the rivers), naktīs (at night).

Many nationality nouns end in -ietis for a man and -iete for a woman: latvietis and latviete, lietuvietis and lietuviete, vācietis and vāciete. Some differ, such as igaunis and igauniete (Estonian) and krievs and krieviete (Russian).

A genitive noun before another noun often works like an adjective. It names a material, a purpose or a kind: koka galds (a wooden table), zelta gredzens (a gold ring), bērnu grāmata (a children's book).

Teens end in -padsmit and tens in -desmit: vienpadsmit (11), divpadsmit (12), divdesmit (20), trīsdesmit pieci (35). These words do not change, but a final number from one to nine still agrees: divdesmit piecas mājas (twenty-five houses).

Viens and two to nine agree with the noun in gender and case, while trīs can stay unchanged: divi galdi (two tables), divas mājas (two houses), ar diviem draugiem (with two friends), trīs brāļi (three brothers), trīs māsas (three sisters).

First-conjugation verbs build the past on their own stem with the endings -u, -i, -a, -ām, -āt, -a: nest → nesu, nesi, nesa, nesām, nesāt, nesa. Many stems change: ņemt → ņēmu, nākt → nācu, and iet → gāju and dot → devu are irregular.

Second-conjugation verbs add -j- endings to the infinitive stem: runāt → runāju, runāji, runāja, runājām, runājāt, runāja; dzīvot → dzīvoju, dzīvoja.

Third-conjugation verbs keep the infinitive vowel in the past: lasīt → lasīju, lasīji, lasīja; redzēt → redzēju, redzēja; dziedāt → dziedāju, dziedāja.

The past of būt is biju, biji, bija, bijām, bijāt, bija: Vakar es biju mājās (Yesterday I was at home), Man bija suns (I had a dog), Tur nebija neviena (Nobody was there).

In the plural, prepositions almost always take the dative, whatever case they take in the singular: no Rīgas but no draugiem, uz Rīgu but uz Cēsīm.

Latvian shows an owner by putting it in the genitive before the thing owned: tēva māja (father's house), Annas grāmata (Anna's book), Latvijas galvaspilsēta (the capital of Latvia).

Eiro (euro) never changes its form, while the number before it agrees as masculine: viens eiro, pieci eiro, Tas maksā divus eiro (It costs two euros).

Verbs like mazgāties (to wash oneself) and mācīties (to study) end in -ties. Their present forms have reflexive endings: es mazgājos, tu mazgājies, viņš mazgājas; es mācos, tu mācies, viņa mācās.

The sixth declension is a group of feminine nouns in -s, such as sirds (heart), nakts (night) and pils (castle). Their singular forms are sirds, sirds, sirdij, sirdi, sirdī, and their adjectives are feminine.

Weather verbs need no word like English it: Līst (It is raining), Snieg (It is snowing). With ir, use the -i form: Šodien ir silti (It is warm today). Kāds ir laiks? asks what the weather is like.

Cik ir pulkstenis? (What time is it?) Pulkstenis ir trīs (It is three). At an hour uses the locative: trijos or pulksten trijos (at three). Half hours count toward the next hour: pusčetri (half past three).

The third declension is a small group of masculine nouns in -us, such as tirgus (market) and alus (beer). Their singular forms are tirgus, tirgus, tirgum, tirgu, tirgū, and the plural is tirgi.

Aiz means behind, zem means under and virs means above. In the singular they take the genitive: aiz mājas (behind the house), zem galda (under the table), virs gultas (above the bed). In the plural they take the dative: virs mākoņiem (above the clouds).

Ar (with) marks company, tools, transport and contents. Its noun looks accusative in the singular and dative in the plural: ar draugu, ar draugiem.

Bez (without) takes the genitive in the singular and usually the dative in the plural: bez cukura, bez manis, bez problēmām.

Cik takes a genitive plural when it asks how many: Cik tev ir gadu? (How old are you?), Cik cilvēku tur bija? (How many people were there?), Cik bērnu jums ir? (How many children do you have?).

Drīkstēt means to be allowed and is followed by an infinitive: Vai drīkstu ienākt? (May I come in?), Šeit nedrīkst smēķēt (Smoking is not allowed here).

Iet means to go on foot or to go in general, and braukt means to travel by vehicle: Es eju uz darbu kājām (I walk to work), Es braucu ar vilcienu (I go by train).

Jau means already: Es jau zinu (I already know). Vēl means still: Viņš vēl guļ (He is still sleeping). Vēl also adds more: vēl viena kafija (one more coffee), vēl labāk (even better).

Jo introduces a reason after a comma: Es palieku mājās, jo līst (I am staying at home because it is raining). The part with jo comes after the main clause, not before it.

Ka introduces what someone knows, says or thinks, after a comma: Es zinu, ka viņš ir mājās (I know that he is at home), Viņa saka, ka nāk (She says that she is coming).

Kad asks when and joins a time clause: Kad tu nāc? (When are you coming?), Kad es biju mazs, es dzīvoju laukos (When I was little, I lived in the countryside).

Kas has case forms: ko (whom, what), kam (to whom, for what) and kā (whose, of what). For example, Ko tu dari? (What are you doing?) and Kam tu raksti? (Who are you writing to?). The same forms serve people and things, one or many.

Kurš and kura ask which one: Kurš autobuss iet uz centru? (Which bus goes to the centre?) They agree with the noun in gender, number and case: kura māja, kurā stāvā, kuru grāmatu.

Kāds and kāda ask what kind or what something is like: Kāds šodien ir laiks? (What is the weather like today?), Kāda krāsa? (What colour?), Kādā valodā? (In which language?). They agree with the noun like an adjective.

Līdz takes the dative and marks where or when something stops: līdz rītam (until morning), līdz Rīgai (as far as Riga), no pirmdienas līdz piektdienai (from Monday to Friday).

Feelings of temperature and comfort use a dative person, ir and an adverb in -i: Man ir auksti (I am cold), Man ir labi (I feel fine).

Nav takes the genitive for something absent or lacking: Šeit nav veikala (There is no shop here), Man nav laika (I have no time), Viņam nav brāļa (He does not have a brother).

Negative words such as nekas (nothing), neviens (nobody), nekur (nowhere) and nekad (never) go with a negated verb: Es neko nezinu (I know nothing), Neviens nenāca (Nobody came), Es nekad nesmēķēju (I never smoke).

Pa with the accusative gives a path or channel: pa ceļu (along the road), pa logu (through the window), runāt pa telefonu (to talk on the phone). With a plural noun it takes the dative: pa ielām (through the streets).

Some verbs take the dative where English uses a direct object: palīdzēt (to help), zvanīt (to call) and ticēt (to believe).

Par with the accusative means about or for: runāt par filmu (to talk about a film), domāt par tevi (to think about you), paldies par dāvanu (thank you for the present). With a plural noun it takes the dative: par bērniem (about the children).

Pie takes the genitive and means at or near a thing, or at a person's place. It is also how you say you are going to see someone: Es eju pie ārsta.

Pirms takes the genitive and means before an event or ago: pirms darba, pirms nedēļas. Plural nouns are dative: pirms brokastīm, pirms diviem gadiem.

Pēc takes the genitive and means after an event or after a stretch of time: pēc darba, pēc stundas, pēc gada. Plural nouns are dative: pēc brokastīm.

Savs refers back to the subject in any person: Es lasu savu grāmatu (I am reading my book), Viņš mīl savu sievu (He loves his wife). Viņa sieva would mean another man's wife.

Tad means then, both for the next step and for a time already mentioned: Vispirms brokastis, tad darbs (First breakfast, then work). At the start of a reply it means in that case: Tad ejam! (Then let's go!)

Tikai means only and stands right before the word it limits: Man ir tikai viens brālis (I have only one brother), Tikai rīt (Only tomorrow).

Latvian has two words for "you". Use tu with a friend, relative or child, and jūs with a group or politely with one person. jūs always takes the plural verb: jūs esat, jūs runājat.

Tāpēc (so, therefore) gives a result: Līst, tāpēc es palieku mājās (It is raining, so I am staying at home). Tāpēc ka means because: Es palieku mājās, tāpēc ka līst.

Un (and), bet (but) and vai (or) join words and clauses: tēja un kafija (tea and coffee), Es gribu, bet nevaru (I want to, but I cannot), Tēja vai kafija? (Tea or coffee?).

Uz + genitive says where something lies or stands on a surface: uz galda, uz grīdas. Uz + accusative shows movement onto or to: uz galdu, uz Rīgu.

Vai ne? at the end of a sentence asks for agreement: Tu esi no Rīgas, vai ne? (You are from Riga, aren't you?), Skaisti, vai ne? (Beautiful, isn't it?).

Vairs with a negated verb means no longer, and vēl with a negated verb means not yet: Es vairs nestrādāju (I no longer work), Es vēl nezinu (I do not know yet), Vēl ne (Not yet).

Viss means everything or the whole, visi means everyone or all, and katrs means each or every: Viss ir labi (Everything is fine), Visi ir šeit (Everyone is here), katru dienu (every day).

Demonstratives decline too: šajā mājā (in this house), tajā dienā (on that day), šo grāmatu (this book, as an object), ar to cilvēku (with that person).

Adjectives in forms of address are definite: Mīļā Anna! (Dear Anna!), Dārgais draugs! (Dear friend!), Cienījamā kundze! (Dear Madam!). When you write formally to one person, Jūs, Jums and Jūsu are written with a capital.

Some adjectives take a dative: līdzīgs (similar) in Viņš ir līdzīgs tēvam (He looks like his father) and pateicīgs (grateful) in Es esmu tev pateicīga (I am grateful to you, said by a woman). Others are noderīgs (useful) and kaitīgs (harmful).

The suffixes -tājs, -tāja and -ējs, -ēja name people by what they do: skolotājs (teacher), dziedātājs (singer), vadītājs (driver, manager), pārdevējs (shop assistant). The -s forms are for men and the -a forms for women.

When you call someone, masculine names in -s drop the ending (Jēkabs → Jēkab!), names in -is end in -i (Jānis → Jāni!) and names in -us end in -u (Mikus → Miku!). Feminine names usually keep their form (Anna!), and plural address uses the nominative (Bērni!).

The comparative adds -āk- before the ending and agrees like any adjective: liels → lielāks, liela → lielāka (bigger), labs → labāks (better). The comparative adverb ends in -āk: ātrāk (faster), vairāk (more), mazāk (less).

Definite endings mark a known or chosen thing: jaunais skolotājs (the new teacher), baltā māja (the white house). A plain description after ir usually keeps the indefinite ending: Māja ir balta (The house is white).

After words like mans (my), šis (this) and a genitive noun, the adjective is usually definite: mans jaunais dators (my new computer), šī lielā māja (this big house), Latvijas lielākā pilsēta (Latvia's biggest city).

Definite adjectives change for case like indefinite ones, but with their own endings: lielajam draugam (to the big friend), lielo māju (the big house, as an object), lielajā pilsētā (in the big city), ar jauno draugu (with the new friend).

Diminutives are very common. Many masculine nouns in -s or -š take -iņš and many feminine nouns in -a take -iņa: galds → galdiņš (little table), māja → mājiņa (little house), zirgs → zirdziņš (little horse).

Many sixth-declension nouns form diminutives with -tiņa: zivs → zivtiņa (little fish), acs → actiņa (little eye). Sirds becomes sirsniņa (little heart). Masculine nouns like akmens take -tiņš: akmentiņš (pebble).

Another diminutive suffix is -ītis for masculine nouns in -is and -īte for nouns in -e: brālis → brālītis (little brother), kaķis → kaķītis (kitty), roze → rozīte (little rose).

Cik (how) and kāds (what a) start exclamations. Cik goes with an adverb or an adjective: Cik skaisti! (How beautiful!). Kāds agrees with a noun: Kāda jauka diena! (What a lovely day!)

Ordinals end like definite adjectives and agree with the noun: pirmā diena (the first day), otrais stāvs (the second floor), trešajā klasē (in the third grade). In figures, a full stop marks an ordinal: 3. klase.

Latvian spells foreign names as they sound and gives them endings: Džons (John), Viljams Šekspīrs (William Shakespeare), Ņujorka (New York). The names then change like any noun: Es runāju ar Džonu (I am talking with John).

Dēļ means because of or for the sake of. It goes after its word, and that word is in the genitive in both the singular and the plural: lietus dēļ (because of the rain), bērnu dēļ (for the children's sake), manis dēļ (for my sake).

A command to one person usually uses the second-person present form, and a plural or polite command ends in -iet: Nāc! Nāciet! (Come!), Lasi! Lasiet! (Read!), Runā lēnāk! (Speak more slowly!). Add ne- to forbid: Nerunājiet! (Do not talk!).

Latvian uses a feminine job title for a woman: skolotāja (teacher), pārdevēja (shop assistant), ārste (doctor), studente (student). The masculine plural covers a mixed group: skolotāji (teachers).

The first-person plural future also means let's: Iesim! (Let's go!), Sāksim! (Let's start!), Ēdīsim! (Let's eat!).

Most nouns in -a and -e are feminine, but puika (boy) is masculine: mazs puika (a little boy), puikam (to the boy). Words for people such as pļāpa (chatterbox) and paziņa (acquaintance) are masculine for a man and feminine for a woman.

Akmens (stone), ūdens (water), rudens (autumn), mēness (moon), asmens (blade) and zibens (lightning) look like first-declension nouns but decline like brālis: the genitive is still akmens, and the dative is akmenim. Suns (dog) gives suņa, sunim, suni.

A few loanwords never change their ending: kino (cinema), radio, metro, kakao (cocoa) and eiro (euro). They stay the same in every case: Es eju uz kino (I am going to the cinema), Mēs braucām ar metro (We went by metro).

Durvis (door), bikses (trousers), brilles (glasses), kāzas (wedding) and brokastis (breakfast) have only plural forms. Their adjectives are plural too, even for one thing: Durvis ir aizvērtas (The door is closed), vienas bikses (one pair of trousers).

Viens to deviņi take case endings like adjectives: ar diviem draugiem (with two friends), divās vietās (in two places). Trīs has special forms: triju, trim, trijos, trijās. Clock times use the locative plural: pulksten piecos (at five o'clock).

Prepositions such as bez, pie, no and pēc take manis, tevis, viņa and viņas in the singular: bez manis (without me), pie tevis (at your place), no viņas (from her). Plural pronouns usually take the dative: pie mums (at our place), ar viņiem (with them).

Reflexive verbs keep reflexive endings in every tense and in commands: mācījos, mācījies, mācījās (studied); mācīšos, mācīsies (will study); Apsēdies! Apsēdieties! (Sit down!).

Kas is the most common relative word and does not change for gender or number, but it takes case forms: Cilvēks, kas tur stāv, ir mans tēvs (The man standing there is my father), cilvēks, ko es redzēju (the person I saw).

Kurš and kura agree with the noun they refer to and take the case of their own clause: māja, kurā es dzīvoju (the house I live in), draugs, kuram es rakstu (the friend I am writing to).

Reported yes-no questions use vai (whether), and other questions keep their question word: Es nezinu, vai viņš nāks (I do not know whether he will come), Pasaki, kur tu esi! (Tell me where you are!).

A date is an ordinal number plus the month, both masculine: Šodien ir divdesmit ceturtais septembris (Today is 24 September). On a date takes the locative: 24. septembrī (on 24 September), 2025. gadā (in 2025). A number written for an ordinal takes a full stop.

When you call someone with a diminutive, it is often cut short: māmiņa → māmiņ! (Mummy!), dēliņš → dēliņ! (Sonny!). In everyday speech some names shorten too: Marija → Marij!

When two consonants meet, the first often takes on the voice of the second: labs sounds like laps, and apgabals sounds like abgabals. The spelling does not change, so every form of the word looks the same.

To say the most, take the comparative and give it a definite ending, often adding vis-: labākais or vislabākais (the best), vislielākā pilsēta (the biggest city). Adverbs just add vis-: visātrāk (fastest).

A family name changes with the person: Jānis Bērziņš, but Anna Bērziņa; Ozols and Ozola. To say Mr or Mrs, put the surname in the genitive before kungs or kundze: Bērziņa kungs (Mr Bērziņš), Ozolas kundze (Mrs Ozola).

The future adds -š- or -s- to the infinitive stem: runāšu, runāsi, runās, runāsim, runāsiet or runāsit, runās. Other examples are lasīšu (I will read), būšu (I will be) and iešu (I will go). First-conjugation roots ending in s, z, t or d add -ī-: nest → nesīšu, vest → vedīšu, sist → sitīšu.

Latvian e and ē can each be closed or open, and ordinary spelling does not mark the difference. Es ēdu (I eat) has an open ē, while es ēdu (I ate) has a closed one, so learn these words with audio.

Adding -šana to the infinitive stem names an activity: lasīt → lasīšana (reading), peldēt → peldēšana (swimming). Reflexive verbs give -šanās: mācīties → mācīšanās (studying). An object goes before it in the genitive: vēstules rakstīšana (writing a letter).

Some verbs need a particular preposition or case: baidīties no suņiem (to be afraid of dogs), interesēties par mūziku (to be interested in music), rūpēties par bērniem (to take care of the children), and piedalīties sacensībās (to take part in a competition) with the locative.

Many feelings and states use a dative person: Man garšo zupa (I like the soup), Man trūkst laika (I lack time), Man gribas ēst (I feel like eating), Man pietiek (That is enough for me).

A third-person verb with no subject can mean people in general: Latvijā runā latviski (In Latvia people speak Latvian), Kā to saka latviski? (How do you say that in Latvian?).

Object pronouns like tevi, viņu, mani, tev and to usually come before the verb: Es tevi mīlu (I love you), Es tev piezvanīšu (I will call you). A noun object usually comes after the verb, and a pronoun after the verb sounds stressed.

Abi and abas mean both and agree with a plural noun: abi brāļi (both brothers), abas māsas (both sisters). They change their endings like divi: ar abām rokām (with both hands), abos gadījumos (in both cases).

These place words take the dative: blakus skolai (next to the school), pretī stacijai (opposite the station), apkārt mājai (around the house), garām veikalam (past the shop). They can also follow the word: man blakus (next to me).

These prepositions take the accusative singular: caur mežu (through the forest), gar upi (along the river), ap galdu (around the table), pret sienu (against the wall), starp māju un veikalu (between the house and the shop). With a plural noun they take the dative: caur mežiem.

Cits and cita mean other, another or different. They agree with the noun in gender, number and case: cita reize (another time), citi cilvēki (other people), citā pilsētā (in another town). Kaut kas cits means something else.

A compound number ending in viens takes a singular noun, because the noun agrees with the last word: divdesmit viens gads (twenty-one years), trīsdesmit viena grāmata (thirty-one books). In other cases, viens and the noun both stay singular: divdesmit vienā valstī.

The conditional forms gribētu and varētu soften requests: Es gribētu kafiju (I would like a coffee), Vai jūs varētu palīdzēt? (Could you help?). They are the same for every person.

Gan ..., gan means both ... and. Put gan before each part and a comma before the second gan: Viņš runā gan latviski, gan angliski (He speaks both Latvian and English).

Ja introduces a real condition. A future event uses the future in both clauses: Ja rīt līs, mēs paliksim mājās (If it rains tomorrow, we will stay at home). Tad can open the main clause: Ja tu nevari, tad es palīdzēšu (If you cannot, then I will help).

Unlike English, Latvian uses the future after kad when the event is still to come: Kad tu atbrauksi, mēs parunāsim (When you arrive, we will talk).

Kamēr means while. It joins two actions that happen at the same time: Kamēr tu gatavo, es uzklāšu galdu (While you cook, I will set the table).

Kas tas par cilvēku? asks what kind of person that is. The noun after par takes the accusative in the singular and the dative in the plural. The same phrase starts exclamations: Kas par skaistu dienu! (What a beautiful day!)

Kopš means since. Use it with a genitive, kopš pirmdienas (since Monday), or to start a clause: Kopš es dzīvoju Rīgā, es runāju latviski (Since I have lived in Riga, I have spoken Latvian).

Kāds can mean someone, or some before a noun: Vai kāds zvanīja? (Did anyone call?). Put kaut before a question word to make something, somewhere or sometime: kaut kas, kaut kur, kaut kad, kaut kā.

Labāk means "better" or "rather". It compares how something is done, and it marks the choice you prefer: Es labāk dzeru tēju (I would rather drink tea). With a command it gives advice: Labāk paliec mājās.

Lai gan and kaut gan mean although: Lai gan līst, mēs ejam pastaigāties (Although it is raining, we are going for a walk). The clause can come first or second.

Ne ..., ne means neither ... nor. With subjects and objects, the verb is negative as well: Es nedzeru ne tēju, ne kafiju (I drink neither tea nor coffee). After nav, the nouns go in the genitive: Man nav ne laika, ne naudas (I have neither time nor money).

Than is nekā or par: Rīga ir lielāka nekā Jelgava and Rīga ir lielāka par Jelgavu both mean Riga is bigger than Jelgava. Nekā keeps the compared word in its usual case, while par takes the accusative in the singular and the dative in the plural.

Nekāds means no kind of or not any, and it needs a negated verb: Man nav nekādu problēmu (I have no problems at all), Tas nav nekāds noslēpums (That is no secret).

Nemaz strengthens a negated verb: Es nemaz nezināju (I did not know at all), Tas nemaz nav grūti (It is not difficult at all). With nav and a genitive it means none at all.

Nākamais means next and pagājušais means last. To say when, put the phrase in the locative: nākamajā nedēļā (next week), pagājušajā gadā (last year). One-word adverbs also exist: šogad (this year), pērn (last year), nākamgad (next year).

Par with the accusative names a role or a result: Viņa strādā par skolotāju (She works as a teacher), Viņš kļuva par ārstu (He became a doctor). With a plural noun par takes the dative: Mēs kļuvām par draugiem (We became friends).

Pats and pati agree with the person they point to and add emphasis: Es pats to izdarīju (I did it myself), Viņa pati zina (She knows herself). With tas or tā they mean the same: tā pati iela (the same street).

Patīk can take an infinitive for activities someone enjoys: Man patīk peldēt (I like swimming), Vai tev patīk dejot? (Do you like dancing?), Viņam nepatīk agri celties (He does not like getting up early).

Pirms begins a clause about a later action: Pirms tu aizej, paēd! (Eat before you go!). For after, use pēc tam, kad: Pēc tam, kad es pabeidzu darbu, es gāju mājās (After I finished work, I went home).

Pārāk means too: pārāk dārgs (too expensive), pārāk vēlu (too late), Tas ir pārāk grūti (That is too difficult). Par can do the same job: par daudz (too much), par vēlu (too late).

The reflexive pronoun points back to the subject and has one set of forms for every person: Viņš domā tikai par sevi (He thinks only about himself), Es nopirku sev kafiju (I bought myself a coffee). It has no nominative.

Hundreds use simts or simti and thousands tūkstotis or tūkstoši: simts (100), divi simti (200), tūkstotis (1000), divi tūkstoši (2000). A year written 2025. is read as an ordinal: divtūkstoš divdesmit piektais gads.

Sākt (to start), beigt (to stop) and turpināt (to continue) take an infinitive: Sāk līt (It is starting to rain), Beidz runāt! (Stop talking!), Viņa turpina strādāt (She keeps working).

Pain uses a dative person, the verb sāp and the body part in the nominative: Man sāp galva (I have a headache), Viņai sāp kakls (She has a sore throat), Kas tev sāp? (What hurts?).

Tikko says that something happened a moment ago: Es tikko pamodos (I have just woken up). With a past verb it covers English "has just". It can also mean only just or barely.

Tikpat ... kā says two things are equal: Viņš ir tikpat garš kā tēvs (He is as tall as his father). Tāds pats kā means the same as and agrees with the noun: Man ir tāda pati soma kā tev (I have the same bag as you).

Tikt means to get to a place or manage to reach it: Kā tikt uz staciju? (How do I get to the station?), Es netiku uz koncertu (I did not get to the concert), tikt mājās (to get home).

Tomēr (however, still) adds a contrast: Bija auksti, tomēr mēs peldējāmies (It was cold, but we swam anyway). It can also mean after all: Tu tomēr atnāci! (You came after all!).

Uz with a time phrase says how long something is meant to last: Es braucu uz Rīgu uz nedēļu (I am going to Riga for a week). For time that has simply passed, use the accusative without uz.

The adjective vajadzīgs agrees with the thing needed, and the person is dative: Man ir vajadzīga palīdzība (I need help), Vai tev ir vajadzīgs dators? (Do you need a computer?).

Vajag with a dative person and an infinitive expresses need: Man vajag strādāt (I need to work), Tev vajag atpūsties (You need to rest). The past is vajadzēja and the future vajadzēs.

Vaļā (open) and ciet (closed) describe doors, shops and more: Veikals ir vaļā (The shop is open), taisīt durvis ciet (to close the door). They never change their endings.

Zināt means to know a fact, pazīt to know a person or recognise, and prast or mācēt to know how: Es zinu adresi (I know the address), Es pazīstu Annu (I know Anna), Es protu peldēt (I can swim).

Direction adverbs often follow a verb: iet ārā (to go out), nākt iekšā (to come in), celties augšā (to get up), iet prom (to go away), nākt atpakaļ (to come back), Nāc līdzi! (Come along!).

The past active participle has four endings: -is for a man, -usi for a woman, -uši for men or a mixed group, and -ušas for women. For example, viņš ir atnācis, viņa ir atnākusi, viņi ir atnākuši, viņas ir atnākušas (he, she or they have arrived).

The suffix -nieks or -niece names people by place or occupation: rīdzinieks (a person from Riga), laucinieks (a country person), dārznieks (gardener), zvejnieks (fisherman).

Place nouns often end in -nīca or -tava: slimnīca (hospital), kafejnīca (café), ēdnīca (canteen), frizētava (hairdresser's), slidotava (skating rink).

Atvērts logs is an open window and vārīta ola a boiled egg. The participle takes adjective endings in every case, and a definite form such as atvērtais logs means the open window.

The suffix -ējs makes adjectives from adverbs of time: tagadējs (current), vakarējs (yesterday's), toreizējs (of that time). For example, tagadējais prezidents (the current president).

The suffix -ība forms feminine and -ums masculine abstract nouns: brīvība (freedom), draudzība (friendship), skaistums (beauty), garums (length).

Common adjective suffixes include -īgs (laimīgs, happy), -isks (latvisks, typically Latvian) and -ains (saulains, sunny; mākoņains, cloudy).

Definite adjectives can stand alone as nouns: jaunais (the new one, the young man), mīļā (darling, to a woman). For example, Ņem sarkano! (Take the red one!).

A comma separates every subordinate clause and comes before bet: Es zinu, ka tu nāksi (I know that you will come). Participle phrases with -dams or -ot are also set off by commas.

In compound nouns the describing part usually comes first, sometimes in the genitive: dzelzceļš (railway, from dzelzs and ceļš), lielveikals (supermarket), saulesbrilles (sunglasses).

The conditional adds -tu to the infinitive stem and is the same for every person: es brauktu, tu brauktu, mēs brauktu (would go). For example, Es brauktu, bet nav laika (I would go, but there is no time). It also makes requests polite.

Careful standard Latvian marks the person something is for with the dative, not priekš: dāvana mammai (a present for Mum), Tas ir tev (This is for you).

Latvian says "have to" with a special verb form. Add jā- to the third-person present (strādā → jāstrādā) and put the person in the dative: Man jāstrādā (I have to work). The form is the same for every person, and ir may be added: Man ir jāstrādā.

A prefix often presents an action as finished: rakstīt → uzrakstīt (write → write out), lasīt → izlasīt (read → read through), ēst → apēst (eat → eat up). For example, Es uzrakstīju vēstuli (I wrote the letter).

Labad follows a genitive noun and means for the sake of: bērnu labad (for the children's sake), drošības labad (for safety's sake).

To say "had to" or "will have to", put būt in the past or future before the jā- form: man bija jāstrādā, man būs jāstrādā. Negate būt for "do not have to": man nav jāstrādā. Būt always stays in the third person.

A few loan adjectives never change their form: rozā (pink), lillā (lilac), bordo (burgundy). For example, rozā kleita (a pink dress) and ar rozā ziediem (with pink flowers).

Ne- also forms opposites of adjectives and nouns: laimīgs → nelaimīgs (unhappy), liels → neliels (not big), laime → nelaime (misfortune).

New or important information tends to come at the end: Mans brālis dzīvo Rīgā (My brother lives in Riga) says where he lives, while Rīgā dzīvo mans brālis says who lives in Riga.

Mēs satikāmies means we met each other. With one person as the subject, add the partner with ar + instrumental: Es satikos ar Annu (I met up with Anna).

Viņš teica, ka strādā Rīgā means he said that he worked in Riga. Latvian keeps the speaker’s original tense, so present stays present and future stays future.

With a debitive, the thing that must be done is usually nominative: Man jāpērk maize (I have to buy bread), Tev jāraksta vēstule (You have to write a letter). First- and second-person pronouns and sevi stay accusative: Tev mani jāgaida (You have to wait for me).

Latvian often has a pair: atvērt (to open something) and atvērties (to open by itself). Use the reflexive when no doer is named: Veikals aizveras astoņos (The shop closes at eight).

A prefix joined to the front of a verb changes its direction or meaning: iet (to go) → ieiet (to go in), iziet (to go out), aiziet (to leave). Prefixed verbs are written as one word and conjugate like the base verb.

Aiz- means going away or closing, and at- means arriving or opening: aiziet (to leave), aizvērt (to close), atnākt (to come, to arrive), atvērt (to open).

Arvien or aizvien with a comparative means more and more: Laiks kļūst arvien siltāks (The weather is getting warmer and warmer).

Biju, biji or bija plus a past participle shows an earlier past: Kad es atnācu, viņš jau bija aizgājis (When I arrived, he had already left).

Veikals ir slēgts means the shop is closed. The participle agrees like an adjective (slēgts, slēgta, slēgti, slēgtas), and ir becomes bija or būs for the past or future.

Būtu plus a past participle describes an unreal past: Ja es būtu zinājis, es būtu atnācis (If I had known, I would have come).

Tev būtu jāatpūšas means you ought to rest. Add bijis for something that should have happened: Mums būtu bijis jāpaliek (We ought to have stayed).

Būšu, būsi or būs plus a past participle shows something done by a future time: Līdz vakaram es būšu pabeidzis (I will have finished by the evening).

Desmit, the teens, simts, tūkstotis and miljons traditionally take a genitive plural noun: desmit dienu (ten days), simts rožu (a hundred roses). After desmit and the teens, desmit dienas is also correct.

Būt in the present plus a past participle describes an experience or a result that matters now: Esmu bijis Rīgā (I have been to Riga), Viņa ir izlasījusi grāmatu (She has read the book). The participle agrees with the subject.

Latvian cannot say I want you to come with an infinitive. Use a lai clause: Es gribu, lai tu atnāc, or more gently Es gribētu, lai tu atnāktu.

Ie- means into and iz- means out of, or all the way through: ieiet (to go in), ielikt (to put in), iziet (to go out), izlasīt (to read to the end).

It kā compares with something unreal and often takes the conditional: Viņš runā tā, it kā viss būtu kārtībā (He talks as if everything were fine).

An imagined condition uses the conditional in both clauses: Ja man būtu nauda, es nopirktu māju (If I had money, I would buy a house). Advice often uses the conditional alone: Es tavā vietā paliktu (If I were you, I would stay).

Jautā jebkuram! means ask anyone! Jeb- words mean that the choice does not matter, and the pronouns change case like the question words they come from: jebkas → jebko, jebkurš → jebkuram.

Jo ..., jo with comparatives shows two things changing together: Jo vairāk, jo labāk (The more, the better), Jo ātrāk, jo labāk (The sooner, the better).

Jābūt means "must be". It can state a duty (Tev jābūt uzmanīgam, You have to be careful) or a confident guess (Viņam jābūt mājās, He must be at home). Context decides which meaning is intended.

Lai with the conditional gives a purpose: Es mācos latviešu valodu, lai varētu strādāt Latvijā (I am learning Latvian so that I can work in Latvia). Except after verbs of motion, Latvian does not use a bare infinitive for a purpose the way English uses "to".

Put lai before a present-tense verb to say what someone else should do or what you wish would happen: Lai viņš nāk! (Let him come!), Lai dzīvo Latvija! (Long live Latvia!).

Laikam and droši vien mean probably, and varbūt means maybe: Viņš laikam ir mājās (He is probably at home), Varbūt rīt (Maybe tomorrow).

Ārsts lika man palikt mājās means the doctor told me to stay at home. When a thing is the subject, likt means to make: Kas tev lika tā domāt? (What made you think that?)

Mēgt with an infinitive expresses a habit or tendency: Viņš mēdz nākt vēlu (He tends to come late), Ziemā mēdz būt auksti (It is often cold in winter).

Nav with a question word and an infinitive says there is nothing or nowhere: Nav ko darīt (There is nothing to do), Nav kur iet (There is nowhere to go).

Ne tikai ..., bet arī adds a second, stronger point: Viņa runā ne tikai latviski, bet arī lietuviski (She speaks not only Latvian but also Lithuanian).

Nevis corrects an alternative: Es gribu tēju, nevis kafiju (I want tea, not coffee), Viņš dzīvo nevis Rīgā, bet Jūrmalā (He lives not in Riga but in Jūrmala).

Pa- can mean doing something for a short while or a little: pagaidīt (to wait a moment), palasīt (to read a little), parunāt (to have a chat). For example, Pagaidi! (Wait a moment!).

Pat (even) and tieši (exactly) focus on one word: Pat bērni to zina (Even children know it), Tieši tā! (Exactly!), tieši pulksten piecos (at exactly five o'clock).

Pie- means approaching or adding, and pār- means across, back or again: pienākt (to come up to), pievienot (to add), pārnākt mājās (to come back home), pārdot (to sell), pārrakstīt (to rewrite).

Fractions are nouns: puse (half), trešdaļa (a third), ceturtdaļa (a quarter). Pusotrs or pusotra means one and a half: pusotra stunda (an hour and a half), divas trešdaļas (two thirds).

After verbs of motion, pēc means to fetch: iet pēc maizes (to go for bread), braukt pēc bērniem (to go and pick up the children).

Sa- means together or into one, and ap- means around or covering: sanākt (to gather), satikt (to meet), apiet (to go around), apēst (to eat up).

Tas, kas and tur, kur pair a pointing word with a clause that explains it: Tas, kas man patīk, ir mūzika (What I like is music), Dzīvo tur, kur tev patīk (Live where you like).

Taču adds after all or but, and gan adds contrast or emphasis: Tu taču zini! (You know that!), Tas gan ir dārgs (That really is expensive), Es gan nezinu (I, however, do not know).

Tiklīdz means as soon as: Tiklīdz es atnākšu, es piezvanīšu (As soon as I arrive, I will call).

Tā kā gives a known reason, often at the start of the sentence: Tā kā bija vēls, mēs braucām mājās (As it was late, we drove home).

Tātad (so, therefore) draws a conclusion: Tātad mēs tiekamies rīt (So we are meeting tomorrow).

Uz- often means up or onto and no- down or off, and both can mark a finished action: uzkāpt (to climb up), uzrakstīt (to write and finish), nokāpt (to climb down), nopirkt (to buy).

Vai nu ..., vai offers a choice between two options: Vai nu tu nāc, vai paliec (Either you come or you stay).

Vai tad and vai tiešām turn a yes-no question into a surprised one: Vai tad tu nezināji? (Didn't you know, then?), Vai tiešām? (Really?).

The conditional vajadzētu gives advice or an expectation: Tev vajadzētu atpūsties (You should rest), Vilcienam jau vajadzētu būt klāt (The train should be here already). The person goes in the dative, and the next verb is an infinitive.

Tas varētu būt taisnība means that might be true. Varētu has one form for every person and is always followed by an infinitive.

Viņi mīl viens otru means they love each other. The second word changes case (otru, otram, ar otru), and women use viena otru and cita citu.

Ļauj man palīdzēt! (Let me help!) uses ļaut with a dative and an infinitive. Laid mani iekšā! (Let me in!) uses laist with an accusative and a direction word.

After verbs of perception, the unchanging -am or -ām participle shows the action perceived: Es redzēju viņu nākam (I saw him coming), Dzirdēju putnus dziedam (I heard the birds singing).

Participles in -dams, -dama, -dami and -damas describe an action the subject does at the same time, and they agree with the subject: Viņš gāja dziedādams (He walked along singing), Smaidīdama viņa atvēra durvis (Smiling, she opened the door).

Use -dams when the subject does both actions and agree it with the subject: Braukdams mājās, viņš klausījās radio. Use -ot for a general doer or a different one: Braucot mājās, sāka līt.

Past active participles can describe nouns: nokritušas lapas (fallen leaves), izžuvusi upe (a dried-up river), pieaudzis cilvēks (a grown-up).

The unchanging -ot or -oties form describes a background action: Ejot uz darbu, es satiku draugu (Going to work, I met a friend), Atgriežoties mājās, viņš nopirka maizi (On his way home, he bought bread).

The doer of an action shown by a passive participle can be named in the genitive before it: tēva celta māja (a house built by father), Šī glezna ir mana drauga gleznota (This picture was painted by my friend).

Some verbs in -ināt mean causing an action or state: sēdēt → sēdināt (to seat someone), smieties → smīdināt (to make someone laugh), dzert → dzirdināt (to water animals).

Genitives can stack before a noun, each describing the next one: Latvijas Universitātes bibliotēka (the University of Latvia library), pilsētas domes priekšsēdētājs (the chair of the city council).

Comment words such as protams (of course) and manuprāt (in my opinion) are set off by commas: Protams, es nākšu (Of course I will come), Manuprāt, tā ir laba ideja (In my opinion, it is a good idea).

Participles take definite endings when they single something out or stand as nouns: uzrakstītais teksts (the text that was written), minētais likums (the law mentioned), strādājošie (working people).

A genitive phrase before a noun can describe a quality: gaišu matu meitene (a fair-haired girl), liela auguma vīrietis (a tall man), vidēja vecuma sieviete (a middle-aged woman).

In news reports and rumours the renarrative marks a claim as second-hand and unconfirmed: Ministrs esot atkāpies (The minister has reportedly resigned), Cenas nākamgad augšot (Prices will reportedly rise next year).

Formal texts often use -šana nouns with a genitive object instead of a verb clause: lēmuma pieņemšana (the making of a decision), dokumentu iesniegšana (the submission of documents).

Literary style may use a genitive object after a negated verb or a verb of needing, where everyday Latvian prefers the accusative: nezināt vārda (not to know the name), Dārgakmeņu man nevajag (I do not need jewels).

Headlines and notices often leave out būt or tikt and keep only the participle: Rīgā atklāts jauns tilts (A new bridge opened in Riga), Smēķēt aizliegts (No smoking).

A participle with its own words can stand before the noun instead of a relative clause: pagājušajā gadā uzceltā skola (the school built last year), pie loga sēdošā meitene (the girl sitting by the window).

Present active participles in -ošs or -oša describe someone doing something, mostly in writing: lasošs cilvēks (a person who is reading), strādājoša māte (a working mother).

Present passive participles in -ams or -āms describe something that is done or can be done: lasāma grāmata (a readable book), redzams (visible), dzeramais ūdens (drinking water).

The renarrative mood, ending in -ot, marks something heard from others: Viņš esot slims (He is said to be ill), Viņa strādājot Rīgā (Reportedly she works in Riga).

The future renarrative ends in -šot: Viņš braukšot uz Rīgu (He will reportedly go to Riga), Rīt būšot silti (They say it will be warm tomorrow).

Spoken Latvian often leaves out a verb that is obvious from context: Kur tu? — Uz veikalu (Where are you off to? — To the shop), Kafiju? — Jā, lūdzu (Coffee? — Yes, please).

In set phrases and descriptions the instrumental appears without ar: iet kājām (to go on foot), basām kājām (barefoot), meitene zilām acīm (a girl with blue eyes), nedēļām ilgi (for weeks).

A passive without a subject names an activity without saying who did it: Par to tika daudz runāts (There was a lot of talk about it), Šeit ir daudz strādāts (A lot of work has been done here).

A bare infinitive, often with a dative person, asks what to do: Ko darīt? (What is to be done?), Ko man darīt? (What should I do?), Kur mums iet? (Where should we go?).

Attiecībā uz with the accusative introduces a topic in formal texts: attiecībā uz šo jautājumu (with regard to this question). In the plural it takes the dative: attiecībā uz cenām.

Bijušais and bijusī mean former: bijušais prezidents (the former president), mana bijusī skola (my former school), Satiku savu bijušo skolotāju (I met my former teacher).

Cits pēc cita and viens pēc otra mean one after another: Viesi nāca cits pēc cita (The guests arrived one after another), Mašīnas brauca cita pēc citas (The cars drove by one after another).

Diezin vai, common in everyday speech, expresses doubt: Diezin vai viņš atnāks (It is doubtful that he will come), Diezin vai tā ir taisnība (That is hardly true).

The past renarrative is esot plus a past participle: Viņš esot aizbraucis uz Londonu (He has reportedly gone to London), Viņi esot apprecējušies (They are said to have married).

The renarrative of the debitive uses esot: Viņam esot jāstrādā arī sestdienās (He reportedly has to work on Saturdays too).

Gan jau expresses confident reassurance: Gan jau būs labi (It will surely be fine), Gan jau viņš piezvanīs (I am sure he will call).

Iz- or pie- with a reflexive verb can mean doing something as much as one wants: izgulēties (to have a good long sleep), izrunāties (to talk to one's heart's content), pieēsties (to eat one's fill).

Ja vien means provided that or as long as: Mēs brauksim, ja vien nelīs (We will go, provided it does not rain), Es palīdzētu, ja vien varētu (I would help if only I could).

Jeb introduces another name for the same thing: Jāņi jeb Līgo svētki (Jāņi, also called the Līgo festival). For a choice between different things, Latvian uses vai.

Kaut with the conditional expresses a wish: Kaut būtu vasara! (If only it were summer!), Kaut tu būtu šeit! (I wish you were here!), Kaut es to būtu zinājis! (If only I had known!).

Kā arī adds items to a list in careful style: Pasākumā piedalījās skolēni, kā arī viņu vecāki (Pupils took part in the event, as well as their parents).

Kā jau marks something as expected or already known: Kā jau teicu, es rīt strādāju (As I already said, I am working tomorrow), kā jau rudenī (as is usual in autumn).

Lai cik, lai kā and lai kur mean however, no matter how or wherever: Lai cik grūti, mēs turpināsim (However hard it is, we will continue), Lai kur tu būtu, es tevi atradīšu (Wherever you are, I will find you).

Līdz ar to (consequently) links a result in formal style: Cenas pieauga, līdz ar to samazinājās pirkumu skaits (Prices rose, and as a result the number of purchases fell).

Ne- plus an -ams participle often means that something cannot be done: neticams (unbelievable), neredzams (invisible), neizbēgams (inevitable), neaizmirstams (unforgettable).

Ne- with a -dams or -ot form means without doing something: Viņš aizgāja, neko neteikdams (He left without saying anything), Nedomājot viņa piekrita (She agreed without thinking).

Pa with the dative can mean one at a time or portion by portion: nākt pa vienam (to come one at a time), ēst pa gabaliņam (to eat piece by piece), maksāt pa daļām (to pay in parts).

Par spīti with the dative means despite, and neskatoties uz with the accusative (the dative in the plural) is also widely used: par spīti lietum (despite the rain), neskatoties uz grūtībām (despite the difficulties).

Pateicoties with the dative names a helpful cause: pateicoties draugiem (thanks to friends), pateicoties labajam laikam (thanks to the good weather).

Saskaņā ar belongs to formal style and takes the accusative in the singular: saskaņā ar likumu (in accordance with the law), saskaņā ar plānu (according to the plan). In the plural it takes the dative: saskaņā ar noteikumiem.

Savukārt (in turn, on the other hand) and turpretī (whereas) contrast two facts: Anna strādā Rīgā, savukārt Pēteris strādā Cēsīs (Anna works in Riga, while Pēteris works in Cēsis).

The passive uses tikt with a past passive participle that agrees with the subject: Māja tiek būvēta (The house is being built), Vēstule tika nosūtīta vakar (The letter was sent yesterday).

Turklāt adds a further point: Dzīvoklis ir liels, turklāt lēts (The flat is big and, moreover, cheap).

Ņemot vērā with the accusative means taking into account: ņemot vērā laikapstākļus (taking the weather into account).

Some adverbs end in -ām, a trace of old case forms: pamazām (little by little), lēnām (slowly), klusām (quietly).

Tas man nav saprotams (I cannot understand that) and Mums bija redzama jūra (We could see the sea) put the person in the dative and the thing in the nominative.

A dative noun or pronoun with an -ot form makes an independent time phrase: Saulei rietot, kļuva vēss (As the sun was setting, it grew cool), Man ienākot, visi piecēlās (When I came in, everyone stood up).

Formal and reference texts often give the original spelling of a foreign name in brackets after the Latvian form: Viljams Šekspīrs (William Shakespeare).

Official texts prefer fixed formulas: attiecīgā iestāde, minētais likums, ievērojot noteikumus, stājas spēkā (enters into force).

Tā tapa uzcelta pils (Thus the castle was built) is an old-style passive with tapt. Today tapt lives on mainly in the meaning come into being: Grāmata tapa divus gadus.

Fairy tales start with Sen senos laikos or Reiz dzīvoja, and storytelling often puts the verb first: Nāca rudens (Autumn came).

Latvian folk songs (dainas) are short, usually four lines long, and full of diminutives and nature images, such as saulīte (dear sun) and māmiņa (dear mother).

Standard Latvian distinguishes level, falling and broken tones on long syllables, and spelling does not show them: loks (spring onion) and loks (arch) differ only in tone. Many speakers in the west and east use only two tones.

Cik vien with a verb of possibility means as much or as fast as possible: Nāc, cik vien ātri vari (Come as quickly as you can).

Some -ot pairs are fixed phrases: gribot negribot (like it or not), Gribot negribot bija jāpiekrīt (Like it or not, we had to agree).

Old texts say iekš mājas and iekš Rīgas. Modern Latvian says mājā and Rīgā, and uses iekšā (inside) without a noun.

Viņam jāstrādājot (He reportedly has to work) is a one-word, spoken form of the reported debitive. In careful writing use esot jāstrādā.

Viņš teica, ka ir slims reports his words. Viņš teica, ka esot slims adds distance: that is what he said, but you are not confirming it.

Kaut vai means even if only or at least: Atnāc kaut vai uz stundu (Come, even if only for an hour).

Kur nu vēl means let alone: Es nevaru nopirkt vienu, kur nu vēl divus (I cannot buy one, let alone two).

Kā nekā means after all or all things considered: Kā nekā, viņš ir tavs brālis (After all, he is your brother).

Lai with an -ot verb reports a command or request: Viņš teica, lai es nākot rīt (He told me to come tomorrow), Māte lika, lai bērni ejot gulēt (Mother told the children to go to bed).

Folk songs and poetry use manim, tevim and sevim after prepositions: Nāc pie manim (Come to me). Modern everyday Latvian says pie manis, ar tevi and līdz man.

Ne vien ..., bet arī is a literary variant of ne tikai ..., bet arī: ne vien skaists, bet arī gudrs (not only handsome but also clever).

Nedz ..., nedz is a formal equivalent of ne ..., ne: Viņš nerunāja nedz latviski, nedz angliski (He spoke neither Latvian nor English).

Divas valstis, proti, Latvija un Lietuva means two countries, namely Latvia and Lithuania. Commas go on both sides of proti.

Relaxed speech uses tak as a short form of taču and nu to urge or fill a pause: Tu tak zini (You know that, after all), Nu, ejam! (Come on, let's go!).

Tā saucamā zaļā enerģija means so-called green energy. The participle saucamais changes to match the noun, and tā stays the same.

Vien placed after a word means only or alone in literary and emphatic style: Ar naudu vien nepietiek (Money alone is not enough).

Vēl jo vairāk means all the more so: Tas ir svarīgi, vēl jo vairāk tagad (That is important, all the more so now).