Stress on the First Syllable

Level 1

Put the stress on the first syllable: Rīga, grāmata (book), skolotājs (teacher). The stress stays there when the ending changes.

How It Works

In standard Latvian the main stress falls on the first syllable, however long the word is:

  • RĪ-ga
  • GRĀ-ma-ta (book)
  • SKO-lo-tājs (teacher)
  • KA-fej-nī-ca (café)

The stress stays put when the ending changes: GRĀ-ma-ta, GRĀ-ma-tu, GRĀ-ma-tā. A negative prefix on a verb takes the stress too: NE-zi-nu (I don't know).

Stress and length are separate. A long vowel after the first syllable is still held long, but it does not pull the stress: kafejnīca keeps its long ī, and the stress stays on ka-. See long vowels.

Loanwords follow the Latvian pattern too: TE-le-fons, U-ni-ver-si-tā-te, BA-nāns.

A small group of words stress the second syllable. Learn them as you meet them:

  • greetings and thanks: lab-DIEN, lab-RĪT, lab-VA-kar, pal-DIES. See greetings and thank you and please.
  • a few adverbs: var-BŪT (maybe), te-PAT (right here), tur-PAT (right there).
  • some words that start with ne-, vis- or ik-: ne-KAD (never), ne-VIENS (nobody), vis-LA-bā-kais (the best), ik-VIENS (everyone). See nobody and never and the most.

Prepositions such as uz and no are never stressed. In uz Rīgu (to Riga), the stress falls on RĪ-.

Examples (6)

  1. Rīga ir skaista.

    Riga is beautiful.

    Word by Word: Riga is beautiful.

    RĪ-ga and SKAIS-ta both stress the first syllable.

  2. Grāmata ir šeit.

    The book is here.

    Word by Word: Book is here.

    GRĀ-ma-ta has three syllables, and the first one is stressed.

  3. Skolotājs ir klasē.

    The teacher is in the classroom.

    Word by Word: Teacher is in-classroom.

    SKO-lo-tājs: the long ā is held long but not stressed.

  4. Kur ir telefons?

    Where is the phone?

    Word by Word: Where is phone?

    Loanwords stress the first syllable too: TE-le-fons.

  5. Labi, paldies!

    Fine, thanks!

    Word by Word: Well, thanks!

    An exception: pal-DIES stresses the second syllable.

  6. Labdien!

    Hello!

    Word by Word: Good-day!

    Another exception: lab-DIEN.

Common Mistakes

  • Moving the stress onto a long vowel.

    sko-lo-TĀJS
    SKO-lo-tājs

    The macron shows length, not stress. Keep the ā long and stress the first syllable.

  • Stressing a loanword the English way.

    u-ni-VER-si-tā-te
    U-ni-ver-si-tā-te

    Latvian loanwords take first-syllable stress, even when English stresses them later.

How It Connects

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

Stress on the First SyllableLevel 1

Learn This First

Stress is learned after vowel length.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.