How to Form Questions in Latvian for English Speakers

Understanding Question Formation in Latvian

Forming questions in Latvian involves specific word order changes and the use of question words. Unlike English, Latvian often relies on intonation and question particles to indicate a question. This article will guide English speakers through the basics of asking questions in Latvian.

Yes/No Questions in Latvian

Yes/no questions in Latvian are typically formed by raising the intonation at the end of a statement, without changing the word order. For example, the statement Tu runā latviski. means "You speak Latvian." To turn it into a question, simply raise your intonation: Tu runā latviski? meaning "Do you speak Latvian?"

Alternatively, you can add the question particle vai at the beginning of the sentence to clearly mark it as a question, especially in formal contexts.

Using Question Words

Latvian uses question words similar to English to ask for specific information. These include:

• Kas – Who
• Kas tas ir? – Who is that?
• Kas tu esi? – Who are you?
• Ko – What
• Ko tu dari? – What are you doing?
• Kur – Where
• Kur tu dzīvo? – Where do you live?
• Kad – When
• Kad tu atnāksi? – When will you come?
• Kāpēc – Why
• Kāpēc tu to dari? – Why are you doing that?
• Kā – How
• Kā tev klājas? – How are you?

Word Order in Latvian Questions

When using question words, the question word usually comes at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the verb and subject. For example:

Tag Questions in Latvian

Latvian also uses tag questions to confirm information, similar to English. Common tags include vai ne? (isn't it?/right?) and vai ne tā? (isn't that so?). For example: