Reporting a Question

Level 3

To report a question, keep its question word: Kur tu esi? → Pasaki, kur tu esi! A yes-no question keeps vai (whether): Es nezinu, vai viņš nāks. A comma goes before the question word.

How It Works

1. Yes-no questions: vai. Vai veikals ir vaļā? → Vai tu zini, vai veikals ir vaļā? (Do you know whether the shop is open?)

2. Other questions: keep the question word.

  • Cik tas maksā? → Vai tu zini, cik tas maksā?
  • Kāpēc viņš tā teica? → Es nesaprotu, kāpēc viņš tā teica.
  • Kas keeps its case: Ko tu gribi? → Pasaki, ko tu gribi! (see the forms of kas)
  • With an infinitive: Es nezinu, ko darīt (I do not know what to do).

3. The tense usually stays. English moves the verb into the past after asked. Latvian normally keeps the tense of the original question: Viņa jautāja: „Vai tu esi noguris?” → Viņa jautāja, vai es esmu noguris (She asked whether I was tired).

4. The end of the sentence. The main clause decides the final punctuation mark. If it states something, end with a full stop: Es nezinu, kur viņš dzīvo. If it asks something, end with a question mark: Vai tu zini, kur viņš dzīvo? If it is a command, end with an exclamation mark: Pasaki, kur tu esi!

5. Statements are different. To report a statement, use ka (that): Viņš teica, ka nāks (He said that he would come). See also reported speech.

Examples (6)

  1. Es nezinu, vai viņš nāks.

    I do not know whether he will come.

  2. Pasaki, kur tu esi!

    Tell me where you are!

    The main clause is a command, so the sentence ends with an exclamation mark.

  3. Vai tu zini, cik tas maksā?

    Do you know how much it costs?

    The main clause is a question, so the sentence ends with a question mark.

  4. Viņa jautāja, vai es esmu noguris.

    She asked whether I was tired.

    Word by Word: She asked whether I am tired.

    The present tense of the original question stays.

  5. Es nesaprotu, kāpēc viņš tā teica.

    I do not understand why he said that.

  6. Es nezinu, ko darīt.

    I do not know what to do.

Common Mistakes

  • Using ja for English "if" in the sense of whether.

    Es nezinu, ja viņš nāks.
    Es nezinu, vai viņš nāks.

    Ja means if only in a condition (if it rains, ...). To report a yes-no question, use vai.

  • Ending a statement with a question mark because it contains a question word.

    Es nezinu, kur viņš dzīvo?
    Es nezinu, kur viņš dzīvo.

    The main clause Es nezinu is a statement, so the sentence ends with a full stop.

How It Connects

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Reporting a QuestionLevel 3

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Indirect yes-no questions use vai; other indirect questions keep their question word.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

vai