Understanding Latvian Prepositions and Their Cases for English Learners

Introduction to Latvian Prepositions and Cases

Latvian is a Baltic language that uses prepositions to indicate relationships between words, much like English. However, unlike English, Latvian prepositions require the nouns they govern to be in specific grammatical cases. Understanding which case to use with each preposition is essential for mastering Latvian grammar.

What Are Cases in Latvian?

Latvian has seven grammatical cases: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative, Instrumental, Locative, and Vocative. Each case changes the ending of a noun, pronoun, or adjective to express its role in the sentence. Prepositions in Latvian typically govern one or more of these cases, which affects the form of the noun that follows.

Common Latvian Prepositions and Their Cases

Here are some frequently used Latvian prepositions along with the cases they require:

• ar (with) - Instrumental case
• bez (without) - Genitive case
• pie (at, near) - Locative case
• uz (on, onto) - Accusative or Locative case depending on movement
• no (from, of) - Genitive case
• par (about, for) - Accusative case
• līdz (until, up to) - Dative case

Using Prepositions with the Correct Case

Choosing the correct case after a preposition depends on the meaning you want to convey. For example, the preposition uz can take either the Accusative or Locative case:

• Accusative: Indicates movement towards a place. E.g., Es eju uz skolu (I am going to school).
• Locative: Indicates location or position. E.g., Es esmu uz skolas (I am at school).

Examples of Latvian Prepositions in Sentences

Summary

Mastering Latvian prepositions and their associated cases is crucial for clear and correct communication. Practice by memorizing common prepositions and the cases they govern, and pay attention to context, especially with prepositions that can take multiple cases.