Mani sauc

Giving Your Name

Level 1

Mani sauc Kārlis. (My name is Kārlis.) Kā tevi sauc? (What is your name?) Literally: they call me Kārlis, how do they call you?

How It Works

The pattern. Mani sauc Anna is literally "(They) call me Anna". The verb sauc has no subject, and the person being named is its object. See what people do.

Change the person, not the verb. Only the pronoun changes, and it is always in the accusative:

  • Mani sauc Līga. (My name is Līga.)
  • Kā tevi sauc? (What is your name?)
  • Kā jūs sauc? (What is your name? This is the polite form.)
  • Viņu sauc Toms. (His name is Toms.) Viņu means her as well.

These are the pronouns in object pronouns.

Other people and things. A noun works the same way and goes into the accusative: Manu brāli sauc Toms. (My brother's name is Toms.) Kā sauc tavu suni? (What is your dog's name?) Kā to sauc latviski? (What is that called in Latvian?)

The name stays the same. The name after sauc is in the nominative: Mani sauc Pēters. Foreign names take a Latvian ending: Mani sauc Džons. See foreign names with Latvian endings.

Other ways. Mans vārds ir Anna (My name is Anna) is also correct. Es esmu Anna (I am Anna) is grammatical too, but when you introduce yourself, Mani sauc Anna sounds more natural.

Examples (6)

  1. Mani sauc Kārlis.

    My name is Kārlis.

    Word by Word: (They) call me Kārlis.

  2. Kā tevi sauc? — Mani sauc Ieva.

    What's your name? — My name is Ieva.

    Word by Word: How (they) call you? — (They) call me Ieva.

  3. Kā jūs sauc?

    What is your name?

    Word by Word: How (they) call you?

    Polite, or to several people. Jūs is also the object form.

  4. Manu brāli sauc Toms.

    My brother's name is Toms.

    Word by Word: (They) call my brother Toms.

    Brālis becomes brāli and mans becomes manu, because the brother is the object.

  5. Kā sauc tavu suni?

    What's your dog's name?

    Word by Word: How (they) call your dog?

  6. Kā to sauc latviski?

    What is that called in Latvian?

    Word by Word: How (they) call that Latvian-ly?

Common Mistakes

  • Using the dative man, as in man ir and man patīk.

    Man sauc Anna.
    Mani sauc Anna.

    Saukt takes the person as its object, so it needs the accusative mani, not the dative man.

  • Making the family member the subject.

    Mana māte sauc Inese.
    Manu māti sauc Inese.

    Mana māte sauc would mean my mother is calling. The person being named goes into the accusative: manu māti.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Mani saucLevel 1Giving Your Name

Learn This First

Mani sauc uses an object pronoun.

Words in This Pattern

mani saucsauktmaniteviviņuviņu