What People Do
Leave out the subject and use the third-person verb: Latvijā runā latviski (In Latvia people speak Latvian). It means people in general, or someone you do not name: Tevi meklē (Someone is looking for you).
How It Works
1. People in general.
- Latvijā runā latviski. (In Latvia people speak Latvian.)
- Jāņos dzied un dejo. (At Midsummer people sing and dance.)
- Saka, ka rīt būs lietus. (They say it will rain tomorrow.)
- Nekad nevar zināt. (You never know.)
2. Someone you do not name.
- Tevi meklē. (Someone is looking for you.)
- Pie durvīm zvana. (Someone is ringing the doorbell.)
- Tur pārdod saldējumu. (They sell ice cream there.)
3. Any tense. The same works in the past and the future: Par to daudz runāja. (People talked about it a lot.) Rīt rādīs jaunu filmu. (They will show a new film tomorrow.)
4. Other ways to leave out the doer. Latvian can also use the reflexive (Durvis atvērās, The door opened) and, in formal style, the impersonal passive (Par to tika daudz runāts). In everyday speech, the generic third person is the most common. Add viņi (they) only when you mean particular people.
Examples (6)
- Latvijā runā latviski.
In Latvia people speak Latvian.
Word by Word: In Latvia speak Latvian.
No subject: runā means people speak.
- Kā to saka latviski?
How do you say that in Latvian?
Saka, with no subject, means how people say it.
- Saka, ka rīt būs silts.
They say it will be warm tomorrow.
Saka, ka ... reports what people are saying.
- Tur pārdod ļoti garšīgu saldējumu.
They sell very tasty ice cream there.
No particular seller is meant.
- Jāņos dzied un dejo līdz rītam.
At Midsummer people sing and dance until morning.
Both verbs are third person with no subject.
- Nekad nevar zināt.
You never know.
Nevar with no subject means that no one can, like English you in You never know.
Common Mistakes
Translating English one with viens.
Viens nekad nevar zināt.Nekad nevar zināt.Latvian has no pronoun like English one. Leave out the subject and use the third-person verb.
Adding viņi when you mean people in general.
Latvijā viņi runā latviski.Latvijā runā latviski.Here the speaker means everyone in Latvia. With viņi, the sentence points to particular people you have already mentioned.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The generic third person has no subject.
Related Patterns
- Mani saucGiving Your Name
A set phrase built on the generic third person: (they) call me.
Level 1 - Things That Happen by Themselves
Another way to leave out the doer: Durvis atvērās.
Level 4 - The Passive Without a Subject
The formal way to talk about an action without its doer.
Level 5 - latviskiSpeaking a Language: Latviski
The adverb in Latvijā runā latviski.
Level 1
Practice What People Do in Bubblegum
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