Commas in Latvian

Level 4

Latvian puts a comma around every subordinate clause: Es zinu, ka tu nāksi. (I know that you will come.) A comma also goes before bet and around -dams and -ot phrases.

How It Works

1. Subordinate clauses. Put a comma before the clause, and after it if the sentence continues:

  • Es zinu, ka tu nāksi. (I know that you will come.)
  • Grāmata, ko tu man iedevi, ir ļoti laba. (The book that you gave me is very good.)
  • Ja būs laiks, es tev piezvanīšu. (If there is time, I will call you.)

2. bet and similar words. A comma goes before bet (but) and taču (but, yet): Es gribēju nākt, bet biju slims. It also goes before nevis (not) when nevis adds a contrast: Es dzeru tēju, nevis kafiju. (I drink tea, not coffee.)

3. un and vai. No comma when they join words: maize un piens (bread and milk). A comma does go before un when it joins two full main clauses: Līst lietus, un pūš stiprs vējš. (It is raining, and a strong wind is blowing.) Two subordinate clauses joined by un do not get a comma between them: Man nav skaidrs, kas notiek un kā to saprast. (It is not clear to me what is happening and how to understand it.)

4. Participle phrases. Phrases with -dams or -ot are set off with commas:

  • Viņš gāja pa ielu, skaļi dziedādams. (He walked down the street, singing loudly.)
  • Pārnākot mājās, es uzvārīju tēju. (When I got home, I made tea.)

A single participle with no other words usually has no comma: Viņš gāja dziedādams. (He walked along singing.)

5. Calling someone. A name used to call someone is set off: Anna, nāc šurp! (Anna, come here!) Comment words like protams have their own rules (see commas with protams and manuprāt).

Examples (6)

  1. Es zinu, ka tu nāksi.

    I know that you will come.

    Word by Word: I know, that you will-come.

  2. Grāmata, ko tu man iedevi, ir ļoti laba.

    The book that you gave me is very good.

    Word by Word: Book, which you to-me gave, is very good.

    The clause sits in the middle of the sentence, so it has a comma on each side.

  3. Ja būs laiks, es tev piezvanīšu.

    If there is time, I will call you.

    Word by Word: If will-be time, I to-you will-call.

  4. Es gribēju nākt, bet biju slims.

    I wanted to come, but I was ill.

    Word by Word: I wanted to-come, but was ill.

  5. Līst lietus, un pūš stiprs vējš.

    It is raining, and a strong wind is blowing.

    Word by Word: Pours rain, and blows strong wind.

    Un joins two full clauses here, so a comma goes before it.

  6. Viņš gāja pa ielu, skaļi dziedādams.

    He walked down the street, singing loudly.

    Word by Word: He went along street, loudly singing.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the comma before ka.

    Es zinu ka tu nāksi.
    Es zinu, ka tu nāksi.

    A clause with ka is a subordinate clause, and Latvian always puts a comma before it.

  • Forgetting the comma that closes a clause in the middle of a sentence.

    Grāmata, ko tu man iedevi ir ļoti laba.
    Grāmata, ko tu man iedevi, ir ļoti laba.

    The clause ko tu man iedevi sits inside the main sentence, so it needs a comma on both sides.

  • Leaving out the comma before bet.

    Es gribēju nākt bet biju slims.
    Es gribēju nākt, bet biju slims.

    Bet always has a comma before it.

How It Connects

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Commas in LatvianLevel 4

Learn This First

Commas mark clauses in Latvian.