Latvian prepositions


This article describes the use of prepositions and postpositions in Latvian grammar.
The lists below are organized according to the case of the noun phrase following the preposition. In the plural, however, all prepositions in Latvian can be described as governing the dative case. For example:
  • singular: bez manis/*man "without me-gen/*me-dat"
  • plural: bez mums/*mūsu "without us-dat/*us-gen"

Examples

LatvianEnglish approximateCaseExample phraseTranslation
aizbehindgenitive172Paslēpties aiz liela koka
Apspriede notika aiz slēgtām durvīm		To hide behind a large tree
The discussion took place behind closed doors
bezwithoutgenitive446
kopšsincegenitive133
nofromgenitive3524Skaitīt no viens līdz desmitTo count from one to ten
pēcaftergenitive980Pēc darba braucu uz mājām
Pēc diviem mēnešiem būs pārbaudījumi		After work I go home
After two months there will be a test
pieat, on, togenitive1275Māja pie jūrasA house on the sea
pirmsbefore.genitive0Viņš stāvēja pirms manis rindāhe stood before me in line
uzto, on genitive3664
virsabove, overgenitive191Mati virs galvas
Uzraksts virs durvīm		Hair over the head
The inscription above the door *
zemundergenitive106
aparound, about, ca.accusative72
arwithaccusative 4682
caurthroughaccusative106Jāt caur mežu
Smaidīt caur asarām		To ride through the forest
To smile through the tears
garalongaccusative24--
paby, in, on, duringaccusative637Iet pa ceļu
Pa naktīm		To walk along the road
During night *
pārover, acrossaccusative63Pār upiAcross the river
paraboutaccusative4328
pretagainstaccusative407
starpbetweenaccusative191Galds atrodas starp skapi un logu
Sēdēt starp draugiem		The table is situated between the cabinet and the window
To sit among friends
uzto, towardsaccusative3664
līdzuntildative619

  • * some nouns are singular in English but plural in Latvian, thus triggering the dative case.

Archaic forms

LatvianEnglish approximateCaseExample phraseTranslation
apakšundergenitive--
ārpusbeside, out ofgenitive--
iekšpusinsidegenitive--
lejpusbelowgenitive--
otrpusacross, beyond, on the other side, overgenitive--
šaipuson this side genitive--
viņpusin other sidegenitive--
virspusabove, ongenitive--
iekšingenitive--
izfrom, out ofgenitiveiz apakšzemesfrom the underworld
priekšfor genitive--

Semi-prepositions

Latvian has also some adverbs, known as pusprievārdi "semi-prepositions", which can be used like prepositions or postpositions, in combination with a dative noun phrase:
  • cauri - through
  • garām - past, over, by
  • iepretim - in front of
  • līdzi - with
  • pāri - over, across
  • pretī - in front of, against

Postpositions

The following postpositions govern the genitive case, in both singular and plural:
  • dēļ - through, of, for
  • labad - for, for the sake of
  • pēc - because of