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Locījumi Latviešu valodā

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de către Vita OLS Community manager-
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Declensions in the Latvian Language 

In Latvian, declension is an important part of grammar that allows words to adapt to their role in a sentence. Words are inflected to express different relationships, such as possession, location, or the actor of an action. Today, we’ll look at some simple examples of how to decline words in Latvian. But first—what are declensions? Declensions are word forms that change depending on the word's role in a sentence. Latvian has 7 declensions, each with a specific meaning and use. They apply to nouns, adjectives, and numerals. Declensions vary by gender (masculine and feminine) and number (singular and plural): 

  1. Nominative (what? who?/kas?) 
  2. Genitive (how?of whom? whose?/ kā?) 
  3. Dative (to whom?/kam?) 
  4. Accusative (whom?/ko?) 
  5. Instrumental (whit whom?/ar ko?) 
  6. Locative (where?/kur?) 
  7. Vocative (no question but expresses a calling form) 

Now, let’s look at some examples of how a word appears in different declensions. Remember, the word being declined must answer the given question.  

  • Nominative (what? who?/kas?): Use: Indicates the subject of the sentence. Example: zēns (boy), meitene (girl) 
    • Zēns spēlē bumbu. Kas spēlē bumbu? Zēns. / The boy is playing with the ball. Who is playing the ball? The boy 
  • Genitive (how? of whom? whose? /kā?): Indicates possession or relationship. Example: zēna (boy's), meitenes (girl's). 
    • Tā ir zēna bumba. Kā bumba tā ir? Zēna. / That is the boy's ball. Whose ball is it? The boy's. 
  • Dative (to whom?/kam?): Indicates to whom something is given or belongs. Example: zēnam (to the boy), meitenei (to the girl). 
    • Es iedevu zēnam grāmatu. Kam es iedevu grāmatu? Zēnam. / I gave the boy a book. To whom did I give the book? To the boy. 
  • Accusative (whom?/ko?): Indicates the object of an action. Example: zēnu (boy), meiteni (girl).  
    • Es redzu zēnu. Ko es redzu? Zēnu. / I see the boy. Whom do I see? The boy. 
  • Instrumental (with whom?/ar ko?): Indicates a means or manner of action. Example: zēnu (with the boy), meiteni (with the girl). 
    • Es runāju ar zēnu. Ar ko es runāju? Ar zēnu./ I am talking with the boy. With whom am I talking? With the boy. 
  • Locative (where?/kur?): Indicates a location or place. Example: zēnā (in the boy), meitenē (in the girl). 
    • Zēnā ir liels spēks. Kur ir liels spēks? Zēnā./ There is great strength in the boy. Where is the great strength? In the boy. 
  • Vocative (no question): Used in the form of an exclamation or addressing someone. Example: zēn! (boy!), meitene! (girl!). 
    • Atskrien šurp, zēn! / Come here, boy! 
Declension is sometimes mentioned as the hardest part of language learning, but if it were easy, it would not be so satisfying to master it. Although good skills come with practice, there are some practical tips to pay attention to when learning declensions - start by gradually learning how to use declensions. Begin with simple sentences and focus on word endings. Use charts that organize the different declensions. Read and listen to texts in Latvian to see how words are declined in various situations. And, of course, practice is and always will be the most essential part! 

Try practicing your new knowledge in our forum section here.  

Good luck! 

Vita, OLS Community manager - Latvian