How to Use Personal Pronouns in Latvian for English Speakers

Understanding Personal Pronouns in Latvian

Personal pronouns are words that replace nouns referring to people or things. In Latvian, personal pronouns are essential for everyday communication and differ from English in form and usage.

The Basic Personal Pronouns in Latvian

Latvian personal pronouns change depending on the grammatical case, but here we focus on the nominative case, which is used for the subject of a sentence.

• Es – I
• Tu – You (singular, informal)
• Viņš – He
• Viņa – She
• Mēs – We
• Jūs – You (plural or formal)
• Viņi – They (masculine or mixed group)
• Viņas – They (feminine)

Pronunciation Tips for English Speakers

Here are some pronunciation tips to help you say Latvian personal pronouns correctly:

• Es – pronounced like 'es' in 'less'
• Tu – pronounced like 'too'
• Viņš – pronounced 'veen-sh' (the 'ņ' is a palatal nasal)
• Viņa – pronounced 'veen-ya'
• Mēs – pronounced 'mace' (like 'mace' in English)
• Jūs – pronounced 'yoos'
• Viņi – pronounced 'veen-ee'
• Viņas – pronounced 'veen-yas'

Using Personal Pronouns in Sentences

In Latvian, the verb often changes according to the subject pronoun, so personal pronouns are used together with verb conjugations.

Example sentences:

• Es eju uz veikalu. – I am going to the store.
• Tu lasi grāmatu. – You are reading a book.
• Viņš strādā birojā. – He works in an office.
• Mēs mācāmies latviešu valodu. – We are learning Latvian.

Formal and Informal 'You' in Latvian

Latvian distinguishes between informal singular 'you' (tu) and formal or plural 'you' (jūs). Use 'tu' with friends and family, and 'jūs' in formal situations or when addressing multiple people.

Summary of Latvian Personal Pronouns