Latvian phrases – Here you will find the most common phrases in Latvian with translation. | Free & useful
Latvian phrases are short expressions or idioms often used in speech to be polite, express gratitude, greet or say goodbye or simply to have a pleasant conversation.
They are an important part of Latvian culture and can be useful in different situations, both in private and business life.
Latvian phrases you should know
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Greet someone in Latvian
If you want to greet someone in Latvian, it’s actually quite easy:
| English | Latvian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome! | Laipni lūdzam! | [ˈlaip.ni ˈluːd.zam] |
| Good day to you! | Labu dienu! | [ˈla.bu ˈdi.e.nu] |
| Good morning to you! | Labrīt! | [laˈbriːt] |
| Good evening! | Labvakar! | [ˈlab.vakar] |
| Good to see you. | Prieks tevi redzēt. | [priɛks ˈte.vi ˈrɛd.zɛːt] |
| I’m glad to see you. | Man ir prieks tevi redzēt. | [man ir ˈpriɛks ˈte.vi ˈrɛd.zɛːt] |
If you are greeted in Latvian, the best way to respond is as follows:
| English | Latvian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Have a nice day too! | Tev arī jauku dienu! | [tɛu ˈa.ri ˈjau.ku ˈdi.e.nu] |
| Thanks, it’s nice to see you too. | Paldies, arī tevi ir prieks redzēt. | [palˈdiɛs ˈa.ri ˈte.vi ir ˈpriɛks ˈrɛd.zɛːt] |
How is my dialogue partner?
As in any other country, it is polite to start by asking where the person you are talking to is located. Here’s how you do it:
| English | Latvian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| How are you doing? | Kā tev iet? | [kɑ tɛu iɛt] |
| Are you doing well? | Vai tev iet labi? | [vai tɛu iɛt ˈla.bi] |
If you are asked how you feel, you can answer with the following phrases:
| English | Latvian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Thank you for asking, I am fine. | Paldies, ka pajautāji. Man viss ir kārtībā. | [palˈdiɛs ka paˈjau.taː.i man vis ir ˈkaːr.ti.baː] |
| Thank you, I am fine. | Paldies, man viss ir kārtībā. | [palˈdiɛs man vis ir ˈkaːr.ti.baː] |
| Thank you, I am not doing so well. | Paldies, man neiet pārāk labi. | [palˈdiɛs man ˈnɛ.iɛt ˈpaː.raːk ˈla.bi] |
| Thanks, I’m fine. How are you doing? | Paldies, man viss ir kārtībā. Kā tev iet? | [palˈdiɛs man vis ir ˈkaːr.ti.baː kaː tɛu iɛt] |
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How do I say goodbye to someone in Latvian?
Saying goodbye to a friend or stranger in Latvian is not that difficult. Just use the following phrases:
| English | Latvian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Goodbye! | Uz redzēšanos! | [uz rɛdˈzɛː.ʃa.nuɔs] |
| Take care of yourself! | Rūpējies par sevi! | [ˈruː.pɛi.ji.ɛs par ˈsɛ.vi] |
| Goodbye | Atā | [aˈtaː] |
| See you tomorrow | Tiekamies rīt | [ˈtiɛ.ka.mi.ɛs riːt] |
| See you soon | Tiekamies drīz | [ˈtiɛ.ka.mi.ɛs driːz] |
| See you later | Līdz vēlākam | [liːdz ˈvɛː.la.kam] |
| Good night | Ar labu nakti | [ar ˈla.bu ˈnak.ti] |
| Sleep well | Labi izgulies | [ˈla.bi ˈiz.gu.li.ɛs] |
| Talk to you later. | Sazināsimies vēlāk. | [sa.ziˈnɑː.si.mi.ɛs ˈvɛː.laːk] |
| Nice to have met you! | Bija patīkami tevi satikt! | [ˈbi.ja paˈtiː.ka.mi ˈte.vi ˈsa.tikt] |
How do I introduce myself in Latvian?
When travelling in Latvia, sooner or later you will come into contact with local people. Naturally, you’ll want to introduce yourself in Latvian and know who you’re talking to.
| English | Latvian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| My name is Jonas. | Mani sauc Jonas. | [ˈma.ni ˈsauts ˈjo.nas] |
| What is your name? | Kā tevi sauc? | [kaː ˈte.vi ˈsauts] |
| What is your surname? | Kāds ir tavs uzvārds? | [kaːds ir taus ˈuz.vaːrds] |
| What is your first name? | Kāds ir tavs vārds? | [kaːds ir taus ˈvaːrds] |
| What is your surname? | Kāds ir tavs uzvārds? | [kaːds ir taus ˈuz.vaːrds] |
If you want to tell people where you come from, the following sentences are useful:
| English | Latvian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Where do you come from? | No kurienes tu esi? | [no ˈku.rie.nes tu ˈɛ.si] |
| I am from London. | Es esmu no Londonas. | [es ˈɛs.mu no ˈlon.do.nas] |
| Are you from Birmingham? | Vai tu esi no Birmingemas? | [vai tu ˈɛ.si no ˈbir.min.ɡɛ.mas] |
| No, I’m from Madrid. | Nē, es esmu no Madrides. | [nɛː es ˈɛs.mu no maˈdri.dɛs] |
| Great, I’m from Madrid too. | Forši, es arī esmu no Madrides. | [ˈfor.ʃi es ˈa.ri ˈɛs.mu no maˈdri.dɛs] |
| Where do you live? | Kur tu dzīvo? | [kur tu ˈdziː.vo] |
| I live in Berlin. | Es dzīvoju Berlīnē. | [es ˈdziː.vo.ju bɛrˈliː.nɛ] |
If you have problems with your Latvian, it is good to know which languages are still spoken:
| English | Latvian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | Vai tu runā angliski? | [vai tu ruˈnaː ˈaŋ.ɡli.ski] |
| Yes, I speak English. | Jā, es runāju angliski. | [jaː es ruˈnaː.ju ˈaŋ.ɡli.ski] |
| Yes, I speak some English. | Jā, es mazliet runāju angliski. | [jaː es mazˈliɛt ruˈnaː.ju ˈaŋ.ɡli.ski] |
| No, I do not speak any English. | Nē, es nerunāju angliski. | [nɛː es nɛ.ruˈnaː.ju ˈaŋ.ɡli.ski] |
| I only speak English. | Es runāju tikai angliski. | [es ruˈnaː.ju ˈti.kai ˈaŋ.ɡli.ski] |
| I understand some Latvian. | Es mazliet saprotu latviski. | [es mazˈliɛt ˈsa.pro.tu ˈlat.vi.ski] |
Useful sentences with ‘I am…’
The following sentences will help you orientate yourself in Latvian and express your wishes and concerns:
| English | Latvian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| I am English. | Es esmu anglis. | [es ˈɛs.mu ˈaŋ.ɡlis] |
| I am injured. | Es esmu savainots. | [es ˈɛs.mu saˈvai.nots] |
| I am here. | Es esmu šeit. | [es ˈɛs.mu ʃeit] |
| I am hungry. | Es esmu izsalcis. | [es ˈɛs.mu ˈis.sal.t͡sis] |
| I am thirsty. | Es esmu izslāpis. | [es ˈɛs.mu ˈis.slɑː.pis] |
| I am a single person. | Es esmu neprecējies. | [es ˈɛs.mu nɛ.prɛˈt͡sɛː.ji.ɛs] |
| I need help! | Man vajag palīdzību! | [man ˈva.jak paˈliː.d͡zi.bu] |
| I am tired. | Es esmu noguris. | [es ˈɛs.mu ˈno.ɡu.ris] |
| I am happy. | Es esmu laimīgs. | [es ˈɛs.mu ˈlai.miɡs] |
| I am sad. | Es esmu skumjš. | [es ˈɛs.mu skuɲʃ] |
| I am in love. | Es esmu iemīlējies. | [es ˈɛs.mu iɛˈmiː.lɛː.ji.ɛs] |
| I am ill. | Es esmu slims. | [es ˈɛs.mu sli.ms] |
| I am ready. | Es esmu gatavs. | [es ˈɛs.mu ˈɡa.tavs] |
| I am busy. | Es esmu aizņemts. | [es ˈɛs.mu ˈai.zɲɛmts] |
| I am lost. | Es esmu apmaldījies. | [es ˈɛs.mu ap.malˈdiː.ji.ɛs] |
| I am a tourist. | Es esmu tūrists. | [es ˈɛs.mu ˈtuː.rists] |
| I am new here. | Es esmu šeit jauns. | [es ˈɛs.mu ʃeit ˈjauns] |
| I am confident. | Es esmu pārliecināts. | [es ˈɛs.mu ˈpɑːr.liɛ.t͡si.naːts] |
| I am proud. | Es esmu lepns. | [es ˈɛs.mu lɛpns] |
| I am a teacher. | Es esmu skolotājs. | [es ˈɛs.mu ˈsko.lo.taːjs] |
| I am late. | Es kavēju. | [es kaˈvɛː.ju] |
| I am 30 years old. | Man ir trīsdesmit gadi. | [man ir ˈtriːs.dɛ.sit ˈɡa.di] |
| I am in a hurry. | Es steidzos. | [es ˈstɛi.dzo.s] |
| I am happy. | Es esmu priecīgs. | [es ˈɛs.mu ˈpriɛ.ʦiɡs] |
| I am surprised. | Es esmu pārsteigts. | [es ˈɛs.mu ˈpɑːr.steiɡts] |
| I am angry. | Es esmu dusmīgs. | [es ˈɛs.mu ˈdus.miɡs] |
Apologising in Latvian
Here’s how to apologise to a Latvian speaker:
| English | Latvian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| I apologise. | Es atvainojos. | [es at.vaɪˈno.jos] |
| Sorry, that was not the intention. | Piedod, tā nebija iecere. | [ˈpiɛ.dod taː ˈnɛ.bi.ja ˈiɛ.t͡sɛ.rɛ] |
| Sorry, I did not do it on purpose. | Piedod, es to nedarīju speciāli. | [ˈpiɛ.dod es to nɛ.daˈri.ju spɛ.t͡siˈɑː.li] |
| Sorry, that was very clumsy of me. | Piedod, tas no manis bija ļoti neveikli. | [ˈpiɛ.dod tas no ˈma.nis ˈbi.ja ˈʎu.o.ti nɛˈvɛi.kli] |
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Useful signs and notices in Latvian
Useful signs and messages in Latvian that you will often see.
| English | Latvian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance | Ieeja | [ˈi.eː.ja] |
| Toilet | Tualete | [ˈtu.a.lɛ.tɛ] |
| Exit | Izeja | [ˈi.zɛ.ja] |
| Attention! | Uzmanību! | [ˈuz.ma.ni.bu] |
| Police | Policija | [ˈpo.li.t͡si.ja] |
| Emergency services | Neatliekamā palīdzība | [ˈnɛ.at.liɛ.ka.maː paˈliː.d͡zi.ba] |
| Fire brigade | Ugunsdzēsēji | [ˈu.ɡuns.d͡zɛː.sɛ.i] |
| Passage forbidden. | Ieeja aizliegta. | [ˈi.eː.ja ˈai.zliɛɡ.ta] |
| Caution! | Esiet piesardzīgi! | [ˈɛ.si.ɛt ˈpiɛ.sar.d͡ziː.ɡi] |
| This building is under video surveillance. | Šī ēka ir videonovērošanā. | [ʃiː ˈɛː.ka ir ˈvi.dɛ.o.no.vɛː.ru.ʃa.naː] |
Numbers to 25 in Latvian
Counting in Latvian is not that difficult. Here are the numbers in Latvian from 1 to 25.
| English | Latvian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | viens | [viɛns] |
| 2 | divi | [ˈdi.vi] |
| 3 | trīs | [triːs] |
| 4 | četri | [ˈt͡ʃɛ.tri] |
| 5 | pieci | [ˈpiɛ.t͡si] |
| 6 | seši | [ˈsɛ.ʃi] |
| 7 | septiņi | [ˈsɛp.ti.ɲi] |
| 8 | astoņi | [ˈas.to.ɲi] |
| 9 | deviņi | [ˈdɛ.vi.ɲi] |
| 10 | desmit | [ˈdɛs.mit] |
| 11 | vienpadsmit | [ˈviɛn.pat.smit] |
| 12 | divpadsmit | [ˈdiu.pat.smit] |
| 13 | trīspadsmit | [ˈtriːs.pat.smit] |
| 14 | četrpadsmit | [ˈt͡ʃɛt.r̩.pat.smit] |
| 15 | piecpadsmit | [ˈpiɛt͡s.pat.smit] |
| 16 | sešpadsmit | [ˈsɛʃ.pat.smit] |
| 17 | septiņpadsmit | [ˈsɛp.tiɲ.pat.smit] |
| 18 | astoņpadsmit | [ˈas.toɲ.pat.smit] |
| 19 | deviņpadsmit | [ˈdɛ.viɲ.pat.smit] |
| 20 | divdesmit | [ˈdiu.dɛs.mit] |
| 21 | divdesmit viens | [ˈdiu.dɛs.mit viɛns] |
| 22 | divdesmit divi | [ˈdiu.dɛs.mit ˈdi.vi] |
| 23 | divdesmit trīs | [ˈdiu.dɛs.mit triːs] |
| 24 | divdesmit četri | [ˈdiu.dɛs.mit ˈt͡ʃɛ.tri] |
| 25 | divdesmit pieci | [ˈdiu.dɛs.mit ˈpiɛ.t͡si] |
The colours in Latvian
The most common colours in Latvian with phonetic transcription for pronunciation.
| English | Latvian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Red | sarkans | [ˈsar.kans] |
| Blue | zils | [zils] |
| Green | zaļš | [zaʎʃ] |
| Yellow | dzeltens | [ˈd͡zɛl.tɛns] |
| Orange | oranžs | [ˈo.ranʃ] |
| Purple | violets | [ˈvi.o.lɛts] |
| Pink | rozā | [ˈro.zaː] |
| Brown | brūns | [bruːns] |
| Black | melns | [mɛlns] |
| White | balts | [balts] |
Days of the week, months and seasons in Latvian
Of course, you will also need the days of the week in Latvian and the pronunciation of the months and seasons in dialogues and daily communication in Latvian.
| English | Latvian | Phonetic (IPA) |
|---|---|---|
| Days of the Week | ||
| Monday | pirmdiena | [ˈpirm.die.na] |
| Tuesday | otrdiena | [ˈuɔ.tr̩.die.na] |
| Wednesday | trešdiena | [ˈtrɛʃ.die.na] |
| Thursday | ceturtdiena | [ˈt͡sɛ.tur.die.na] |
| Friday | piektdiena | [ˈpiɛkt.die.na] |
| Saturday | sestdiena | [ˈsɛst.die.na] |
| Sunday | svētdiena | [ˈsvɛːt.die.na] |
| Months | ||
| January | janvāris | [ˈjan.vaː.ris] |
| February | februāris | [ˈfɛ.bru.aː.ris] |
| March | marts | [marts] |
| April | aprīlis | [ˈa.priː.lis] |
| May | maijs | [mai̯js] |
| June | jūnijs | [ˈjuː.nijs] |
| July | jūlijs | [ˈjuː.li.js] |
| August | augusts | [ˈau.ɡusts] |
| September | septembris | [sɛpˈtɛm.bris] |
| October | oktobris | [ɔkˈtoː.bris] |
| November | novembris | [nɔˈvɛm.bris] |
| December | decembris | [dɛˈt͡sɛm.bris] |
| Seasons | ||
| Spring | pavasaris | [ˈpa.va.sa.ris] |
| Summer | vasara | [ˈva.sa.ra] |
| Autumn / Fall | rudens | [ˈru.dɛns] |
| Winter | ziema | [ˈziɛ.ma] |
OUR TIP: If you want to learn these Latvian phrases interactively, we recommend the free language course demo from 17-Minute-Language, where you can learn Latvian phrases and dialogues.
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More information about the Latvian Business Course.
Additional links
- Learn Latvian with Mondly
- The different ways of learning languages
- Learning vocabulary successfully
- Motivated language learning
- It is so easy to train your understanding of a language at the same time
- Learning languages quickly? – Is it possible?
- The different types of learners when learning languages
More information about the Latvian Course for Children.