Latvian
Latviešu
Latvian is, with Lithuanian, one of only two Baltic languages still alive. It differs in having fixed stress on the first syllable, where Lithuanian moves it about. Its long vowels are marked with a bar — ā, ē, ī, ū — and its palatal consonants with a cedilla: ģ, ķ, ļ, ņ. Masculine nouns almost always end in s.
- Family
- Baltic
- Script
- Latin
- Speakers
- ≈ 1.7 million
- Where
- Latvia
- In the game
- Mid-range language
How to spot it
Long vowels ā ē ī ū and cedilla consonants ģ ķ ļ ņ. Masculine nouns end in -s.
A few sentences
-
Es katru vakaru eju pastaigāties gar jūru.
Every evening I go for a walk along the sea.
-
Man ļoti garšo siers.
I am very fond of cheese.
-
Es pazaudēju biļeti.
I have lost my ticket.
-
Vakariņas jau atdzisušas.
Dinner has already gone cold.
-
Suns guļ pie durvīm.
The dog is asleep by the door.