iet / dot / ēst

Irregular Iet, Dot and Ēst

Level 1

Three everyday verbs hide their present stem: iet → ej-, dot → dod-, ēst → ēd-. So it is es eju, es dodu, es ēdu.

How It Works

The forms.

  • iet (to go): eju, ej, iet, ejam, ejat, iet
  • dot (to give): dodu, dod, dod, dodam, dodat, dod
  • ēst (to eat): ēdu, ēd, ēd, ēdam, ēdat, ēd

Why these three. Latvian grammars count būt, iet and dot as the truly irregular verbs, because their past stems change too (gāju, devu). Ēst is officially a regular first-conjugation verb: its stem ēd- only looks different before -t, just as mest (to throw) has the present metu. For a beginner, it hides its stem in the same way, so it is learned here. See also the present of būt.

Iet. Iet means to go on foot, or to go in general. For travel by car, bus or train, Latvian uses braukt; see iet and braukt. Iet also appears in Kā iet? (How is it going?) and before another verb: Es eju gulēt (I am going to bed). See going to do something. Ejam! also means "Let's go!"

Dot. The person who receives something is in the dative: Mamma dod bērnam ābolu. See giving to someone.

Ēst. Es ēdu is both "I eat" and "I ate", because the es form is the same in the present and the past. Use a time word when it matters.

Negation. Ne- joins the verb: neeju, neiet, nedodu, neēdu. When the verb starts with e or ē, both letters are written.

Examples (6)

  1. Es eju uz veikalu.

    I am going to the shop.

    Iet → eju for es.

  2. Kur tu ej?

    Where are you going?

    The tu form of iet is ej.

  3. Viņa iet uz darbu kājām.

    She walks to work.

    The viņa form of iet is iet, like the infinitive.

  4. Mamma dod bērnam ābolu.

    Mum gives the child an apple.

    Dot → dod; the child who receives it is dative bērnam.

  5. Ko jūs ēdat brokastīs?

    What do you eat for breakfast?

    Ēst → ēdat for jūs.

  6. Ejam!

    Let's go!

    The mēs form ejam also means "let's go".

Common Mistakes

  • Building the es form of iet from the infinitive.

    Es ieju uz skolu.
    Es eju uz skolu.

    The present stem of iet is ej-, so the es form is eju.

  • Using the tu form ej for he or she.

    Viņš ej uz skolu.
    Viņš iet uz skolu.

    Ej is only the tu form. For viņš, viņa, viņi and viņas the form is iet.

  • Keeping the st of ēst in the present.

    Mēs ēstam pusdienas.
    Mēs ēdam pusdienas.

    The present stem of ēst is ēd-, so it is ēdam, ēdat.

How It Connects

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

iet / dot / ēstLevel 1Irregular Iet, Dot and Ēst

Learn This First

The irregular verbs come after a regular pattern.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

dotēstēdu