CLASS 5 · LEARNING KNOWLEDGE
Common verbs in Latvian present tense – introduction
How it works
In Latvian, present tense forms show which person is doing something. Common verbs such as ‹iet›, ‹lasīt›, ‹rakstīt›, ‹dzīvot›, ‹ēst›, ‹dzert› and ‹strādāt› are important for simple sentences, but they do not all follow exactly the same simple pattern. Example: ‹Es eju uz skolu› means “I go to school”. The correct verb form is necessary to identify the person. The base form (infinitive) often ends in ‹-t›, but in the present tense the stem or ending changes depending on the person.
Note
In Latvian present tense, the verb is conjugated according to the person. For example: ‹es lasu›, ‹tu lasi›, ‹viņš lasa›, ‹mēs lasām›, ‹jūs lasāt›, ‹viņi lasa›. Many present tense forms have to be learned together with the pronoun; often the forms of the 3 person singular and plural are the same.
In Latvian present tense, the verb is conjugated according to the person. For example: ‹es lasu›, ‹tu lasi›, ‹viņš lasa›, ‹mēs lasām›, ‹jūs lasāt›, ‹viņi lasa›. Many present tense forms have to be learned together with the pronoun; often the forms of the 3 person singular and plural are the same.
An example
What is the correct present tense form of ‹rakstīt› for ‹tu›?
The correct form is ‹tu raksti›, because this present tense form belongs to ‹tu›.
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50 Exercises
To the learning unit →Own explanation and own practice exercises by AmyMath. Subject reference framework: Latvian. The topic assignment may vary by federal state.