Learn Latvian
with Ling

Even with a consistent learning strategy, becoming fluent in Latvian won’t be easy. If you’re a native English speaker, you’ll find adjusting your English to Latvian pronunciation a bit difficult. But, that doesn’t mean learning the language is impossible.

If you want to learn Latvian, you should try the Ling app! With over 200 lessons, you can learn how to speak, write, read, and write Latvian in no time!

Here are some things to keep in mind when it comes to Latvian:

• Grammar: Latvian follows the basic subject-verb-object (SVO) sentence structure. It also has two grammatical genders with seven cases, as well as three simple tenses and three compound perfect tenses.
• Vocabulary: Latvian is considered an ancient language, so it’s vocabulary is very traditional and has a great deal of loan words from Russian, Swedish, German, and Polish.
• Speaking/Listening: Latvia has three dialects: Livonian, High Latvian (standard for Modern Latvian), and Middle. When speaking Latvian, watch out for vowels and diphthongs as they can change the meaning of a word.
• Reading/Writing: The modern standard Latvian alphabet is based on the Latin script. It consists of 22 Latin letters omitting Q, W, X, and Y.

Immersing yourself in a Latvian community is, no doubt, the best way to learn the language. When you interact with Latvians and hear the language in its natural form, you’ll be able to learn new words and vocabulary easier than you would through a textbook.

But, if that’s not possible for you, there’s alway the Ling app. This way, you can still learn practical knowledge without burying your nose in a textbook.

Here are some tips when studying Latvian:

• Learn the standard Latvian sentence structure
• Familiarize yourself with essential words and phrases
• Find a friend to learn Latvian with
• Explore Latvian culture, food, and traditions
• Use Ling to master pronunciation and more

Latvian is a unique language in its own but it is closely related to Lithuanian. According to the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), both languages are classified as category III languages.

Latvian also shares many similarities with the extinct Old Prussian language, Latgalian, and Kursenieki. You’ll also find plenty of shared words between Latvian, German, and Russian.

The country of Latvia is growing. Now, there are at least 700,000 immigrants in Latvia who speak Latvian as a second language, in addition to the 2 million native Latvian speakers around the world!

Latvian, also known as Lettish, is based on the Indo-European family of languages in the Balto-Slavic branch. Considering it is one of the most archaic languages still in use today, it has retained quite a few vocabulary words unique to Lithuania.

However, the Lithuanian language emerged from splitting the Eastern and Western Baltic languages. The difference between Latvian and Lithuanian dates back to the 7th century with the extinction of the Baltic tribes. Latvia certainly has a rich cultural heritage, so learning more about its history will help you appreciate its language and customs more.

If you want to learn how to speak Latvian, it’s best to start learning from the locals. But, if you can’t, start with the Ling app. Ling has hundreds of lessons, and it won’t even feel like you’re learning!