Latvian grammar
The Latvian language is an extensively inflected language, with complex nominal and verbal morphology. Word order is relatively free, but the unmarked order is subject–verb–object. Latvian has pre-nominal adjectives and both prepositions and postpositions. There are no articles in Latvian, but definiteness can be indicated by the endings of adjectives.
Nouns and adjectives
Latvian has two grammatical genders and seven cases; there are no articles. Adjectives generally precede the nouns they modify, and agree in case, number, and gender. In addition, adjectives take distinct endings to indicate definite and indefinite interpretation:For details about the nominal morphology of Latvian, see Latvian declension.
Verbs
Tenses and moods
Latvian has three simple tenses, and three compound perfect constructions: present perfect, past perfect, future perfect.Latvian verbs are used in five moods:
- indicative;
- imperative;
- conditional;
- conjunctive ;
- quotative, also known as relative, renarrative, or inferential mood ; and
- debitive.
Latvian verbs have two voices, active and passive. The passive voice is analytic, combining an auxiliary verb and the past passive participle form of the verb. Reflexive verbs are marked morphologically by the suffix -s.
Conjugation classes
Unlike, for example, Romance languages where conjugation classes are assigned based on thematic vowels Latvian verbs are classified in conjugations regardless of whether they end in -āt, -ēt, -īt, -ot or -t. The classification depends on whether the verb stem has a thematic vowel, and if so, whether it is retained in present tense.First conjugation
The first conjugation class is characterized by an absence of the thematic vowel in infinitive, as well as in present and past tenses. Furthermore 1st conjugation verbs are always monosyllabic and their stems undergo sound shifts. Based on these sound shifts they are further divided in 5 subcategories.''Sound shifts bolded below''
Second conjugation
The second conjugation class is characterized by retaining the thematic vowel in infinitive, past as well as present. 1st person singular present and past tenses coincide.Third conjugation
Verbs of the third conjugation class retain the thematic vowel in infinitive and past, however, it is absent in present and the stem takes on the full set of endings unlike 1st and 2nd conjugation where 2nd person singular and 3rd person present endings -i and -a are either absent or have given way to the thematic vowel.The 3rd conjugation is divided into 2 subgroups, the 1st one containing the thematic vowel ī, and the 2nd subgroup – all other vowels. The only difference between the two subgroups is that verbs belonging to the 2nd subgroup do not take on the 3rd person present tense ending -a. dziedāt, es dziedu, tu dziedi but viņš dzied unlike viņš lasa.
Irregular verbs
Beside the three conjugations, there are three verbs characterized by different stems in present, past as well as infinitive. These verbs are referred to as "irregular" Irregular verbs and their stem changes are:- būt – to be
- iet – to go
- dot – to give