Foreign Names With Latvian Endings

Level 3

Foreign names are spelled by sound and get a Latvian ending: a man's name usually gets -s (Džons), and a woman's name -a or -e (Angela Merkele). Then they change for case: ar Džonu (with John), Ņujorkā (in New York).

How It Works

1. Spelled by sound. The Latvian form follows the pronunciation, using Latvian letters: Džons (John), Maikls (Michael), Viljams Šekspīrs (William Shakespeare), Ņujorka (New York), Londona (London), Parīze (Paris). Formal texts may add the original spelling in brackets (see foreign names in formal writing).

2. Endings for men. A man's name gets -s or -š, or sometimes -is, and declines like galds or brālis: Džons, Džona, Džonam, Džonu. A name that already ends in s or z still gets its -s: Čārlzs Dikenss (Charles Dickens).

3. Endings for women. A woman's name and surname end in -a or -e, just like Latvian ones: Angela Merkele (Angela Merkel), Marija, Anna.

4. Places. Place names get endings too and take the locative for in: Ņujorkā (in New York), Londonā (in London), Parīzē (in Paris).

5. Names that stay the same. Names ending in -o, -i, -u or -ē usually do not change: Pablo Pikaso, Oslo. Other words in the sentence show the case: Pikaso gleznas (Picasso's paintings).

Examples (6)

  1. Es runāju ar Džonu.

    I am talking with John.

    Džons → Džonu after ar, like any masculine noun in -s.

  2. Man patīk Šekspīra lugas.

    I like Shakespeare's plays.

    Šekspīrs → Šekspīra, the genitive before the noun.

  3. Mana māsa dzīvo Ņujorkā.

    My sister lives in New York.

    Ņujorka → Ņujorkā, the locative for in.

  4. Mēs lidojam uz Londonu.

    We are flying to London.

    Londona → Londonu after uz.

  5. Angela Merkele bija Vācijas kanclere.

    Angela Merkel was the chancellor of Germany.

    A woman's surname gets a feminine ending: Merkel → Merkele.

  6. Pikaso gleznas ir slavenas.

    Picasso's paintings are famous.

    Pikaso ends in -o, so it does not change. Here it works as a genitive.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the name in the nominative.

    Es runāju ar Džons.
    Es runāju ar Džonu.

    Once a name has a Latvian ending, it changes for case: Džons → Džonu.

  • Forgetting the locative with a place name.

    Mana māsa dzīvo Ņujorka.
    Mana māsa dzīvo Ņujorkā.

    Foreign place names take the locative for in, just like Rīgā.

  • Leaving a woman's foreign surname without an ending.

    Angela Merkel bija Vācijas kanclere.
    Angela Merkele bija Vācijas kanclere.

    In a Latvian sentence, a woman's surname gets a feminine ending: Merkele.

How It Connects

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Foreign Names With Latvian EndingsLevel 3

Learn This First

Foreign names take Latvian endings.