Imperative and appropriate requests in Latvian
How it works
In Latvian, the imperative is used to express requests, pleas, or commands. The formation of the imperative depends on the verb and the person being addressed. For the 2. person singular, one often uses the appropriate imperative form of the verb, e.g. ‹lasi!› (read!), ‹ej!› (go!). For the 2. person plural, standard language often uses ‹-iet›, e.g. ‹lasiet!› (read!), ‹ejiet!› (go!). With reflexive verbs, ‹-ieties› often appears accordingly, e.g. ‹apsēdieties!› (sit down / sit down!). Polite or friendly requests are often supplemented with ‹lūdzu›. The imperative can also be formed in negative requests with ‹ne›, e.g. ‹nelasi!› (do not read!). The correct form and tone are important in order to remain polite and appropriate.
In Latvian, the imperative is used for direct requests. For the 2. person singular, one uses the appropriate imperative form of the verb; for the 2. person plural, standard language often uses forms ending in ‹-iet›; with reflexive verbs, accordingly often ‹-ieties›. Polite requests are often supplemented with ‹lūdzu›. In negation, ‹ne› stands before the imperative.
An example
What is the polite request in Latvian: 'Please sit down!'?
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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.