CLASS 9 · LEARNING KNOWLEDGE
Common participles in Latvian: Recognizing and assigning
How it works
In Latvian, participles are called ‹divdabji›. Common forms in school texts are the active present participle such as ‹lasošs›, the active past participle such as ‹izlasījis›, and the passive past participle such as ‹rakstīts›. Participles used adjectivally agree with the noun they refer to in gender, number, and case, for example ‹lasošā meitene› or ‹rakstītā vēstule›. There are also adverbial forms such as ‹lasot›, which express an accompanying action and are not inflected to match a noun.
Note
Form participles to match the verb and the function in the sentence. Common school patterns are the active present participle with ‹-ošs/-oša›, for example ‹rakstošs›, and the passive past participle with ‹-ts/-ta› or, in definite form, ‹-tais/-tā›, for example ‹rakstīts› and ‹rakstītā›. In sentences like ‹lasošā meitene smaida› or ‹rakstītā vēstule tika nosūtīta›, the form must match the noun it refers to.
Form participles to match the verb and the function in the sentence. Common school patterns are the active present participle with ‹-ošs/-oša›, for example ‹rakstošs›, and the passive past participle with ‹-ts/-ta› or, in definite form, ‹-tais/-tā›, for example ‹rakstīts› and ‹rakstītā›. In sentences like ‹lasošā meitene smaida› or ‹rakstītā vēstule tika nosūtīta›, the form must match the noun it refers to.
An example
Which participle fits in the sentence: ‹___ vēstule tika nosūtīta vakar.›
‹rakstītā› is correct because the participle stands as an attribute to ‹vēstule› and agrees in nominative singular feminine. ‹Rakstošā› means ‘writing’ and does not fit a letter.
Try it yourself now
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.