Learning Latvian can be an exciting and rewarding journey. As an intermediate learner, you are already familiar with the basics of the language, such as simple greetings, numbers, and basic sentence structures. Now, it’s time to expand your vocabulary and delve deeper into the nuances of Latvian. This article aims to introduce you to some essential Latvian words and phrases that will help you communicate more effectively and naturally in various contexts.
Everyday Vocabulary
To navigate daily conversations and interactions in Latvian, it’s crucial to have a solid grasp of everyday vocabulary. Here are some useful words and phrases that you will encounter frequently:
Common Nouns
1. Krēsls (chair) – “Es sēžu uz krēsla.” (I am sitting on the chair.)
2. Galds (table) – “Uz galda ir grāmata.” (There is a book on the table.)
3. Logi (windows) – “Logi ir atvērti.” (The windows are open.)
4. Durvis (door) – “Vai tu vari aizvērt durvis?” (Can you close the door?)
5. Grāmata (book) – “Es lasu interesantu grāmatu.” (I am reading an interesting book.)
6. Telefons (phone) – “Kur ir mans telefons?” (Where is my phone?)
7. Virtuve (kitchen) – “Virtuvē ir ļoti tīrs.” (The kitchen is very clean.)
8. Gulta (bed) – “Es esmu noguris, es eju gulēt.” (I am tired, I am going to bed.)
Common Adjectives
1. Liels (big) – “Šis ir ļoti liels māja.” (This is a very big house.)
2. Mazs (small) – “Viņam ir mazs suns.” (He has a small dog.)
3. Jauns (new) – “Es nopirku jaunu automašīnu.” (I bought a new car.)
4. Vecs (old) – “Šis ir vecs pulkstenis.” (This is an old clock.)
5. Skaists (beautiful) – “Šis ir skaists skats.” (This is a beautiful view.)
6. Gars (tall) – “Viņš ir ļoti garš.” (He is very tall.)
7. Īss (short) – “Viņa ir īsa.” (She is short.)
8. Karsts (hot) – “Šodien ir ļoti karsts.” (Today is very hot.)
9. Auksts (cold) – “Ūdens ir ļoti auksts.” (The water is very cold.)
Common Verbs
1. Runāt (to speak) – “Es runāju latviski.” (I speak Latvian.)
2. Lasīt (to read) – “Viņa lasa grāmatu.” (She is reading a book.)
3. Rakstīt (to write) – “Es rakstu vēstuli.” (I am writing a letter.)
4. Ēst (to eat) – “Mēs ēdam vakariņas.” (We are eating dinner.)
5. Dzert (to drink) – “Viņi dzer tēju.” (They are drinking tea.)
6. Skatīties (to watch) – “Es skatos filmu.” (I am watching a movie.)
7. Darīt (to do) – “Ko tu dari?” (What are you doing?)
8. Spēlēt (to play) – “Bērni spēlējas parkā.” (The children are playing in the park.)
Expressions and Phrases
To sound more natural in conversations, it’s important to use common expressions and phrases. Here are some useful ones:
Greetings and Farewells
1. Sveiki! (Hello!) – A general greeting that can be used at any time of day.
2. Labrīt! (Good morning!) – Used to greet someone in the morning.
3. Labdien! (Good afternoon!) – Used to greet someone in the afternoon.
4. Labvakar! (Good evening!) – Used to greet someone in the evening.
5. Ar labunakti! (Good night!) – Used when saying goodbye at night.
6. Uz redzēšanos! (Goodbye!) – A common way to say goodbye.
7. Atā! (Bye!) – A more informal way to say goodbye.
Polite Expressions
1. Lūdzu (Please) – Used when making a request.
2. Paldies (Thank you) – Used to express gratitude.
3. Nav par ko (You’re welcome) – Used in response to “paldies.”
4. Atvainojiet (Excuse me / Sorry) – Used to apologize or get someone’s attention.
5. Piedodiet (Forgive me) – Another way to apologize.
Asking Questions
1. Kur? (Where?) – “Kur ir tualete?” (Where is the bathroom?)
2. Kā? (How?) – “Kā tu jūties?” (How do you feel?)
3. Kāpēc? (Why?) – “Kāpēc tu esi skumjš?” (Why are you sad?)
4. Ko? (What?) – “Ko tu dari?” (What are you doing?)
5. Kas? (Who?) – “Kas tas ir?” (Who is that?)
6. Cikos? (At what time?) – “Cikos sākas filma?” (At what time does the movie start?)
Describing People and Things
Being able to describe people and things accurately is a crucial skill. Here are some words and phrases to help you with descriptions:
Describing People
1. Gudrs (smart) – “Viņa ir ļoti gudra.” (She is very smart.)
2. Labs (good) – “Viņš ir labs draugs.” (He is a good friend.)
3. Laipns (kind) – “Viņa ir ļoti laipna.” (She is very kind.)
4. Jauks (nice) – “Viņš ir jauks cilvēks.” (He is a nice person.)
5. Sportisks (athletic) – “Viņš ir ļoti sportisks.” (He is very athletic.)
6. Radošs (creative) – “Viņa ir radoša māksliniece.” (She is a creative artist.)
7. Smieklīgs (funny) – “Viņš ir ļoti smieklīgs.” (He is very funny.)
8. Dusmīgs (angry) – “Viņa ir dusmīga.” (She is angry.)
Describing Things
1. Interesants (interesting) – “Šis ir interesants stāsts.” (This is an interesting story.)
2. Garlaicīgs (boring) – “Šī filma ir garlaicīga.” (This movie is boring.)
3. Skaists (beautiful) – “Tas ir skaists zieds.” (That is a beautiful flower.)
4. Dārgs (expensive) – “Šis apģērbs ir dārgs.” (These clothes are expensive.)
5. Lēts (cheap) – “Šis ir lēts restorāns.” (This is a cheap restaurant.)
6. Ātrs (fast) – “Viņš ir ātrs skrējējs.” (He is a fast runner.)
7. Lēns (slow) – “Šis ir lēns dators.” (This is a slow computer.)
8. Vecs (old) – “Šī ir veca māja.” (This is an old house.)
Time and Date Vocabulary
Understanding and using time and date vocabulary is essential for making plans and scheduling activities. Here are some useful words and phrases:
Days of the Week
1. Pirmdiena (Monday)
2. Otrdiena (Tuesday)
3. Trešdiena (Wednesday)
4. Ceturtdiena (Thursday)
5. Piektdiena (Friday)
6. Sestdiena (Saturday)
7. Svētdiena (Sunday)
Months of the Year
1. Janvāris (January)
2. Februāris (February)
3. Marts (March)
4. Aprīlis (April)
5. Maijs (May)
6. Jūnijs (June)
7. Jūlijs (July)
8. Augusts (August)
9. Septembris (September)
10. Oktobris (October)
11. Novembris (November)
12. Decembris (December)
Telling Time
1. Stunda (hour) – “Cik stundas ir?” (What time is it?)
2. Minūte (minute) – “Pulkstenis ir divas minūtes pāri pieciem.” (It is two minutes past five.)
3. Sekunde (second) – “Viņam vajadzēja tikai dažas sekundes.” (He only needed a few seconds.)
4. Pusstunda (half an hour) – “Mēs tiksimies pēc pusstundas.” (We will meet in half an hour.)
5. Rīts (morning) – “Es ceļos agri no rīta.” (I wake up early in the morning.)
6. Diena (day) – “Šī ir skaista diena.” (This is a beautiful day.)
7. Vakars (evening) – “Mēs ejam vakariņās vakarā.” (We are going to dinner in the evening.)
8. Nakts (night) – “Es strādāju naktī.” (I work at night.)
Food and Drink Vocabulary
Knowing the vocabulary related to food and drink is essential for dining out, grocery shopping, and cooking. Here are some key words and phrases:
Common Foods
1. Maize (bread) – “Es pērku maizi.” (I am buying bread.)
2. Siers (cheese) – “Man patīk siers.” (I like cheese.)
3. Gaļa (meat) – “Viņi ēd gaļu.” (They eat meat.)
4. Zivis (fish) – “Mēs gatavojam zivis.” (We are cooking fish.)
5. Augļi (fruits) – “Es ēdu augļus katru dienu.” (I eat fruits every day.)
6. Dārzeņi (vegetables) – “Viņa mīl dārzeņus.” (She loves vegetables.)
7. Salāti (salad) – “Es pasūtu salātus.” (I am ordering a salad.)
8. Deserts (dessert) – “Vai tu gribi desertu?” (Do you want dessert?)
Common Drinks
1. Ūdens (water) – “Es dzeru ūdeni.” (I drink water.)
2. Sula (juice) – “Bērniem patīk ābolu sula.” (Children like apple juice.)
3. Tēja (tea) – “Viņa dzer tēju ar citronu.” (She drinks tea with lemon.)
4. Kafija (coffee) – “Es dzēru kafiju no rīta.” (I drank coffee in the morning.)
5. Piens (milk) – “Vai tu gribi pienu?” (Do you want milk?)
6. Alus (beer) – “Mēs dzeram alu vakarā.” (We drink beer in the evening.)
7. Vīns (wine) – “Viņi pasūta sarkano vīnu.” (They are ordering red wine.)
Travel Vocabulary
When traveling in Latvia, it’s helpful to know specific travel-related vocabulary. Here are some key words and phrases:
Transportation
1. Autobuss (bus) – “Kur ir autobusa pietura?” (Where is the bus stop?)
2. Vilciens (train) – “Cikos nāk vilciens?” (What time does the train arrive?)
3. Takstometrs (taxi) – “Es izsaucu taksometru.” (I called a taxi.)
4. Lidmašīna (airplane) – “Mēs lidojam ar lidmašīnu.” (We are flying by airplane.)
5. Kuģis (ship) – “Viņi ceļo ar kuģi.” (They are traveling by ship.)
6. Velosipēds (bicycle) – “Es braucu ar velosipēdu.” (I ride a bicycle.)
7. Metro (subway) – “Kur ir tuvākā metro stacija?” (Where is the nearest subway station?)
Accommodation
1. Viesnīca (hotel) – “Mēs paliekam viesnīcā.” (We are staying at a hotel.)
2. Hostelis (hostel) – “Viņi paliek hostelī.” (They are staying at a hostel.)
3. Dzīvoklis (apartment) – “Es izīrēju dzīvokli.” (I rented an apartment.)
4. Kempings (camping) – “Mēs ejam kempingā.” (We are going camping.)
5. Rezervācija (reservation) – “Man ir rezervācija viesnīcā.” (I have a reservation at the hotel.)
Directions
1. Pa labi (to the right) – “Griezies pa labi.” (Turn to the right.)
2. Pa kreisi (to the left) – “Griezies pa kreisi.” (Turn to the left.)
3. Taisni (straight) – “Ej taisni.” (Go straight.)
4. Aiz stūra (around the corner) – “Veikals ir aiz stūra.” (The store is around the corner.)
5. Blakus (next to) – “Restorāns ir blakus viesnīcai.” (The restaurant is next to the hotel.)
6. Pretī (opposite) – “Parkings ir pretī veikalām.” (The parking lot is opposite the shops.)
Conclusion
Expanding your Latvian vocabulary is an ongoing process that will greatly enhance your communication skills and confidence in the language. By incorporating these intermediate-level words and phrases into your daily practice, you’ll be able to engage in more complex conversations and better understand the nuances of Latvian culture. Keep practicing, and don’t be afraid to immerse yourself in real-life situations where you can apply what you’ve learned. Happy learning!
