-dams Versus -ot
Choosing Between -dams and -ot
-dams belongs to the subject and agrees with it: Braukdams mājās, viņš klausījās radio (Driving home, he listened to the radio). -ot never changes and can be used without such a subject: Braucot mājās, sāka līt (While we were driving home, it started to rain).
How It Works
1. The two forms.
- -dams is built on the infinitive: braukt → braukdams, lasīt → lasīdams. It agrees like an adjective: -dams, -dama, -dami, -damas (see -dams -dama).
- -ot is built on the present tense: brauc → braucot, lasa → lasot. It never changes; reflexive verbs use -oties (see -ot -oties adverbial participle).
2. Same subject: both are possible. Braukdams mājās, viņš klausījās radio and Braucot mājās, viņš klausījās radio say the same thing. The -dams form ties the action firmly to viņš and is common in stories. The -ot form is very common in modern writing.
3. Only -ot works when:
- the sentence has no nominative subject: Braucot mājās, sāka līt (While we were driving home, it started to rain).
- the person is in the dative (see dative experiencer verbs): Ejot uz skolu, man bija auksti (On the way to school I was cold).
- the doer is general: Lasot šo grāmatu, var daudz ko uzzināt (By reading this book, you can learn a lot).
When the doer of -ot is different from the subject, the context must make it clear who it is. In careful writing, rephrase if the reader could guess the wrong person. A separate dative doer is covered in dative absolute with -ot.
4. Commas. A participle with its own words (a participial phrase) is set off with commas: Ienākdama istabā, viņa pasmaidīja.
Examples (6)
- Braukdams mājās, viņš klausījās radio.
Driving home, he listened to the radio.
Word by Word: Driving home, he listened radio.
Braukdams agrees with viņš, the subject.
- Braucot mājās, sāka līt.
While we were driving home, it started to rain.
Word by Word: Driving home, started to-rain.
There is no nominative subject, so only -ot is possible.
- Ienākdama istabā, viņa pasmaidīja.
Coming into the room, she smiled.
Word by Word: Coming-in (fem.) into-room, she smiled.
- Ejot uz skolu, man bija auksti.
On the way to school, I was cold.
Word by Word: Going to school, to-me was cold.
The person is in the dative (man), so -dams cannot be used.
- Lasot šo grāmatu, var daudz ko uzzināt.
By reading this book, you can learn a lot.
Word by Word: Reading this book, can much what learn.
- Bērni skrēja pa pļavu, skaļi smiedamies.
The children ran across the meadow, laughing loudly.
Word by Word: Children ran across meadow, loudly laughing.
Smiedamies is the reflexive -dams form of smieties and agrees with bērni.
Common Mistakes
Using -dams when there is no nominative subject.
Braukdami mājās, sāka līt.Braucot mājās, sāka līt.Braukdami needs a nominative subject to agree with, and sāka līt has none. Use the unchanging -ot form.
Using -dams with a dative person.
Iedams uz skolu, man bija auksti.Ejot uz skolu, man bija auksti.Man is dative, not a nominative subject, so iedams has nothing to agree with. -Ot works here.
Forgetting to make -dams agree with the subject.
Ienākdams istabā, viņa pasmaidīja.Ienākdama istabā, viņa pasmaidīja.The subject viņa is feminine, so the participle must be feminine: ienākdama.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Choosing -dams or -ot depends on the subject.
Related Patterns
- -dams / -damaDoing Two Things at Once: -dams
This entry explains how the -dams form is built and how it agrees.
Level 5 - ne- + -dams or -otWithout Doing Something
Both forms take ne- to mean without doing something.
Level 5 - Dative Absolute With -otDative with -ot
A dative noun can name a different doer for an -ot phrase.
Level 6 - Verbs With a Dative Person
Sentences with a dative person have no nominative subject, so they need -ot.
Level 3 - -am / -ām After Perception VerbsI Saw Him Coming: -am
Another unchanging participle, used after verbs like redzēt.
Level 5
Practice -dams Versus -ot in Bubblegum
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