Calling Someone
Latvian has a special form for calling someone, the vocative. You hear it most with masculine names: Jēkabs → Jēkab!, Jānis → Jāni!. Feminine names usually stay the same: Anna!
How It Works
1. Masculine names.
- In -s or -š (first declension): drop the ending: Jēkabs → Jēkab!, Roberts → Robert!, Gints → Gint!
- In -is (second declension): end in -i: Jānis → Jāni!, Andris → Andri!, Kārlis → Kārli!. A few names also have a correct short form without -i: Pēteri! or Pēter!
- In -us (third declension): end in -u: Mikus → Miku!, Ingus → Ingu!
2. Feminine names usually keep their form: Anna!, Liene!, Laura!. Some also have a correct short form: Elīna! or Elīn!, Kristīne! or Kristīn!.
3. Common nouns. Many use the nominative: draugs! (friend!), dēls! (son!). Nouns in -tājs, -ējs and -nieks drop the ending: skolotāj! (teacher!). Family words in -is end in -i: tēti! (dad!), brāli! (brother!). The short forms tēt! and brāl! are also correct.
4. Plural. The plural always uses the nominative: Bērni! (Children!), Draugi! (Friends!), Dāmas un kungi! (Ladies and gentlemen!).
5. With an adjective. An adjective in address is usually definite: Mīļā Anna! (Dear Anna!), Atvaino, jaunais cilvēk! (Excuse me, young man!). See forms of address.
Tip: the vocative is only for calling someone. When you talk about the person, use the ordinary form: Jāni, nāc šurp! (Jānis, come here!) but Jānis nāk. (Jānis is coming.)
Examples (6)
- Jāni, nāc ēst!
Jānis, come and eat!
Jānis → Jāni when you call him.
- Labrīt, Jēkab!
Good morning, Jēkabs!
A first-declension name drops -s: Jēkabs → Jēkab.
- Paldies, Miku!
Thank you, Mikus!
A name in -us ends in -u: Mikus → Miku.
- Anna, kur tu esi?
Anna, where are you?
Feminine names usually keep their form.
- Bērni, ejam mājās!
Children, let's go home!
Plural address uses the nominative.
- Tēti, palīdzi man, lūdzu!
Dad, please help me!
Tētis → tēti.
Common Mistakes
Using the nominative of a first-declension name when calling someone.
Labrīt, Jēkabs!Labrīt, Jēkab!The nominative is sometimes heard, but in standard Latvian a first-declension name drops -s when you address the person: Jēkab!, Robert!
Using the calling form as the subject of a sentence.
Jāni nāk mājās.Jānis nāk mājās.Jāni is only for calling Jānis. When you talk about him, use the nominative Jānis.
Dropping the whole -us ending.
Paldies, Mik!Paldies, Miku!Names in -us keep -u in the vocative: Mikus → Miku, Ingus → Ingu.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The vocative is used to call someone.
Related Patterns
- Addressing Someone Warmly or Formally
Adding a definite adjective when addressing someone: Mīļā Anna!, Dārgais draugs!
Level 3 - Short Vocatives in -iņShort Affectionate Address
Diminutives drop their ending when calling someone: māmiņ!, dēliņ!
Level 3 - The Seven Cases
Where the vocative fits among the seven cases.
Level 1 - Third Declension: -usThird Declension: Masculine -us
Names in -us, like Mikus, end in -u when you call someone.
Level 2 - Sveiks / Sveika / SveikiHello That Agrees
Greetings that often come right before a name: Sveiks, Jāni!
Level 1
Practice Calling Someone in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Latvian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
