esot jā-
Reported Obligation
Swap ir for esot to report an obligation: Viņam ir jāstrādā (He has to work) → Viņam esot jāstrādā (He reportedly has to work).
How It Works
1. The three times.
- present: Viņam esot jāstrādā. (He reportedly has to work.)
- past: Viņam esot bijis jāstrādā. (He reportedly had to work.)
- future: Viņam būšot jāstrādā. (He will reportedly have to work.)
2. Same case pattern. The person is dative, and the object stays nominative: Studentiem būšot jānokārto vēl viens eksāmens. (Students will reportedly have to pass one more exam.)
3. The negative. Add ne- to the helper: Mums neesot jāgaida. (Apparently we do not have to wait.)
4. A one-word variant. In everyday speech, and sometimes in the media, you may hear jāstrādājot, with -ot on the debitive itself, also after ir or esot. The University of Latvia grammar says these forms are not Standard Latvian, so write esot jāstrādā. See jā- + -ot.
Compare the conditional debitive, which says what someone ought to do: Viņam būtu jāstrādā.
Examples (5)
- Viņam esot jāstrādā arī sestdienās.
He reportedly has to work on Saturdays too.
Word by Word: To-him reportedly-is must-work also on-Saturdays.
- Visiem esot jāierodas astoņos.
Everyone reportedly has to arrive at eight.
Word by Word: To-all reportedly-is must-arrive at-eight.
- Mums neesot jāgaida.
Apparently we do not have to wait.
Word by Word: To-us reportedly-not-is must-wait.
- Annai esot bijis jāmaksā divreiz.
Anna reportedly had to pay twice.
Word by Word: To-Anna reportedly-is been must-pay twice.
- Studentiem būšot jānokārto vēl viens eksāmens.
Students will reportedly have to pass one more exam.
Word by Word: To-students will-reportedly-be must-pass still one exam.
The object, viens eksāmens, is in the nominative, as in every debitive.
Common Mistakes
Putting the person in the nominative.
Viņš esot jāstrādā.Viņam esot jāstrādā.In the debitive, the person who must do something is in the dative. Esot does not change that.
Keeping ir next to esot.
Viņam ir esot jāstrādā.Viņam esot jāstrādā.Esot takes the place of ir. Use only one of them.
Putting the object in the accusative.
Viņam esot jāuzraksta vēstuli.Viņam esot jāuzraksta vēstule.The object of a debitive stays in the nominative, and the renarrative does not change it.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The renarrative has a debitive form.
Related Patterns
- Debitive jā-Having to: The Debitive
This is the debitive with esot in place of ir.
Level 4 - The Object of a Debitive
The object stays in the nominative: jāuzraksta vēstule.
Level 4 - jā- + -otReported Obligation in One Word
The one-word form jāstrādājot is heard in speech, but esot jāstrādā is the standard form.
Level 6 - būtu jā-Ought to: Būtu Jā-
Būtu jā- says what someone ought to do, while esot jā- reports what they have to do.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice esot jā- in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Latvian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
