How to Tell Time and Dates in Latvian for English Speakers

Understanding the Basics of Telling Time in Latvian

In Latvian, telling time involves understanding both the 12-hour and 24-hour clock systems. The 24-hour clock is commonly used in formal contexts such as schedules and official announcements, while the 12-hour clock is more common in everyday conversation.

Hours and Minutes

Hours are expressed as cardinal numbers, and minutes follow after the word un (meaning "and"). For example, 3:15 is said as trīs un piecpadsmit (three and fifteen). However, in everyday speech, Latvians often use expressions like pusčetri (half past three) or piecas minūtes pāri trijiem (five minutes past three).

Common Time Expressions

Here are some common ways to express time in Latvian:

• Stunda – hour
• Minūte – minute
• Pusdienlaiks – noon
• Pusnakts – midnight
• Pusstunda – half an hour
• Četras minūtes pāri diviem – four minutes past two

Telling Time Examples in Latvian

Dates in Latvian: Days, Months, and Years

Dates in Latvian are usually written in the order: day, month, year. The day is expressed as a cardinal number, the month as a noun in the genitive case, and the year as a number.

Days of the Week

The days of the week in Latvian are:

• Pirmdiena – Monday
• Otrdiena – Tuesday
• Trešdiena – Wednesday
• Ceturtdiena – Thursday
• Piektdiena – Friday
• Sestdiena – Saturday
• Svētdiena – Sunday

Months of the Year

The months in Latvian are:

• Janvāris – January
• Februāris – February
• Marts – March
• Aprīlis – April
• Maijs – May
• Jūnijs – June
• Jūlijs – July
• Augusts – August
• Septembris – September
• Oktobris – October
• Novembris – November
• Decembris – December

Expressing Dates

When saying dates, the day is followed by the month in genitive case. For example, "15th of March" is piecpadsmitais marts or more commonly piecpadsmitais marta. The year follows after the month.

Examples of Dates in Latvian

Tips for English Speakers Learning Latvian Time and Dates

Remember that Latvian uses the 24-hour clock in formal contexts, so it's useful to familiarize yourself with numbers from 13 to 24. Also, months and days of the week are capitalized in English but not in Latvian. Practice pronouncing the Latvian names for months and days to improve your fluency.