Labrīt / Labdien / Labvakar
Greetings by Time of Day
Morning Labrīt! · Day Labdien! · Evening Labvakar! · Bedtime Ar labu nakti!
How It Works
Which one when.
- Labrīt! in the morning.
- Labdien! during the day. It is also the usual polite hello in shops and offices and on the phone: Labdien, te Jānis. (Hello, this is Jānis.)
- Labvakar! in the evening.
The other person usually answers with the same word: Labdien! — Labdien!
Hello, not goodbye. All three are for meeting someone. When you leave, say Uz redzēšanos (Goodbye). When someone goes to bed, or when you part late at night, say Ar labu nakti! (Good night!)
How they are built. Each one joins lab- (good) with a time of day: rīts (morning), diena (day), vakars (evening). Write them as one word, and keep the long ī in labrīt. Unlike most Latvian words, they are stressed on the second part. See stress on the first syllable.
With friends. Among friends and family, the everyday hello is sveiks, sveika or sveiki, or the casual Čau! After the greeting, you can ask how someone is doing: see Kā iet?
Examples (5)
- Labrīt! Kā iet?
Good morning! How's it going?
Word by Word: Good-morning! How goes?
- Labdien! Vienu kafiju, lūdzu.
Hello! One coffee, please.
Word by Word: Good-day! One coffee, please.
Labdien is the usual polite hello in a shop or café.
- Labdien, te Jānis.
Hello, this is Jānis.
Word by Word: Good-day, here Jānis.
On the phone, te (here) introduces the caller.
- Labvakar! Mani sauc Ilze.
Good evening! My name is Ilze.
Word by Word: Good-evening! (They) call me Ilze.
- Ar labu nakti!
Good night!
Word by Word: With good night!
Said at bedtime, not as a hello.
Common Mistakes
Leaving the macron off labrīt.
Labrit!Labrīt!The ī is long and must be written with a macron, as in rīts (morning).
Using labvakar to say goodbye.
Nu, es eju mājās. Labvakar!Nu, es eju mājās. Uz redzēšanos!The intended meaning is goodbye. Labvakar only means hello in the evening. When you leave, say Uz redzēšanos, or Ar labu nakti late at night.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- Sveiks / Sveika / SveikiHello That Agrees
The friendly hello, which agrees with the person greeted.
Level 1 - Uz redzēšanosSaying Goodbye
How to say goodbye.
Level 1 - Kā iet?Asking How Someone Is
The question that often follows the greeting.
Level 1 - Paldies / LūdzuThank You and Please
Other polite words for shops and cafés.
Level 1 - Stress on the First Syllable
Labrīt, labdien and labvakar are exceptions to the stress rule.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice Labrīt / Labdien / Labvakar in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Latvian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
