Greetings and politeness in Latvian
Hello, please, thank you, sorry: the ten openers everything else builds on. Play the ten Latvian words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 11 Latvian phrases in this lesson
- LabdienLAB-dyen
- Hello
- Labrītlab-REET
- Good morning
- LabvakarLAB-va-kar
- Good evening
- Uz redzēšanosooz re-DZEH-sha-nos
- Goodbye
- TiekamiesTYEH-ka-myes
- See you
- LūdzuLOO-dzu
- Please
- PaldiesPAL-dyes
- Thank you
- Nav par konav PAR ko
- You're welcome
- PiedodietPYE-do-dyet
- Sorry
- AtvainojietAT-vai-no-yet
- Excuse me
- Prieks iepazītiespryeks YE-pa-zee-tyes
- Nice to meet you
Literally "good day", the polite daytime greeting for strangers and shopkeepers. Labrīt covers the morning and labvakar the evening; the pattern is lab- plus the time of day.
Said until midday. The long ī is held slightly longer than a short i.
Said arriving anywhere in the evening.
Literally "until seeing each other again." A warm farewell for all situations.
Literally "we'll meet". Friends also say atā (a-TAH). Uz redzēšanos is the polite goodbye.
Same word as "you're welcome." Place it at the end of a request to sound polite.
The everyday thanks, and the one you will use constantly. It comes from an archaic "God repay you". The more formal, literary pateicos turns up mostly in writing.
Literally "it's for nothing". Lūdzu (LOO-dzu) also works, but it is already please.
Literally "forgive", the real apology. To a friend: "piedod".
The polite form, to get attention or to ask to pass. With friends: "atvaino".
Literally "a joy to get acquainted".