Latvian Verbs

Welcome to the 10th lesson about verbs in Latvian. We will first learn about the present tense, followed by the past tense, and future tense. We will also analyze some grammar rules, and finally practice how to ask for direction in Latvian.

Verbs are used to express an action (I swim) or a state of being (I am). The present tense in Latvian conveys a situation or event in the present time. Here are some examples:

Present Tense - Latvian
I speak English es runāju angliski
you speak French tu runā franču valodā
he speaks German viņš runā vāciski
she speaks Italian viņa runā itāliski
we speak Arabic mēs runājam arābu valodā
they speak Chinese viņi runā ķīniešu valodā

The past tense in Latvian conveys a situation or event in the past time. Here are some examples:

Past Tense - Latvian
I visited France es esmu bijis (bijusi) francijā
you visited Italy jūs esat bijis (bijusi) itālijā
he visited Morocco viņš ir bijis marokā
she visited China viņa ir bijusi ķīnā
we visited Mexico mēs esam bijuši meksikā
they visited Kenya viņi ir bijuši kenijā

The future tense in Latvian conveys a situation or event which is anticipated to happen in the future. Here are some examples:

Future Tense - Latvian
I will drink milk es dzeršu pienu
you will drink coffee jūs dzersit kafiju
he will drink tea viņš dzers tēju
she will drink water viņa dzers ūdeni
we will drink apple juice mēs dzersim ābolu sulu
they will drink tea viņi dzers tēju

Now let's take a break and refresh our vocabulary by learning the body parts.

ear auss

eye acs

mouth mute

nose deguns

hair mati

face seja

head galva

heart sirds

hand roka

fingers pirksti

leg kāja

feet kājas

Travel Phrases in Latvian

Imagine yourself in some Latvian speaking country. The following travel phrases are highly important and can help you avoid misunderstanding. Try to memorize them and practice!

English - Latvian
Can you help me? vai jūs varat man palīdzēt?
Can I help you? vai es varu jums palīdzēt?
Where is the airport? kur ir lidosta?
Go straight ejiet taisni
Then tad
Turn left nogriezieties pa kreisi
Turn right pagriezieties pa labi

I hope this lesson about the verbs in Latvian was not hard for you. Please check out our main menu here for more lessons: homepage. To see the full menu, you can also click on the "Menu" icon on the left side.