Prepositions are one of the topics of Latvian grammar that learners find difficult. These small but mighty words play a crucial role in creating flawless sentences in any language.
In this article, you’ll learn the most commonly used Latvian prepositions and how they are used in a sentence. Let’s start our journey towards Latvian language!
What Are Prepositions?
Before we get into Latvian prepositions, let’s understand what exactly prepositions are.
Prepositions are words that relate different parts of a sentence to each other. They express a variety of information, such as location, direction, and time. They are an important element for creating clear and grammatically correct sentences in any language – and Latvian is no different!
Now, let’s take a look at some of the most common Latvian prepositions used in Latvian sentences!
The List Of Latvian Prepositions
Latvian has many prepositions and also a small number of postpositions, which are placed after the word they relate to. Each preposition requires a particular case (genitive, accusative, or dative), depending on the context.
Some common prepositions in Latvian are: pie (at, on, to), uz (to, on, towards), ap (around, about), pa (by), par (about), pēc (after), ar (with). Here, we’ve collected all Latvian prepositions in the table below.
| English Preposition | Latvian Preposition | Latvian Example Sentence | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| About | Par | Viņš runāja par savu interesējošo hobiju. | He talked about his interesting hobby. |
| Above | Virs | Lidojot lidmašīna atradās virs debesu pārseguma. | The airplane was flying above the cloud cover. |
| Across | Pāri | Viņš pārgāja upi, ejot pāri tiltam. | He crossed the river by walking across the bridge. |
| After | Pēc | Skolas beidzoties, viņi pulcējās parkā pēc pusdienām. | After school, they gathered in the park for lunch. |
| Against | Pret | Komanda cīnījās pret saviem pretiniekiem līdz paša beigām. | The team fought against their opponents until the end. |
| Among | Starp | Grāmata bija slēpta starp citām grāmatām plauktā. | The book was hidden among other books on the shelf. |
| Around | Ap | Bērni skrēja ap māju, baudot vasaras spēles. | The children ran around the house, enjoying summer games. |
| As | Kā | Viņa bija ātri kā vējš, iepriecinot visus ar savu smaidu. | She was as quick as the wind, delighting everyone with her smile. |
| At | Pie | Mēs tiksimies pie kafejnīcas pulksteņa pulksten 4. | We will meet at the cafe by the clock at 4 o’clock. |
| Before | Pirms | Viņš iegāja istabā pirms vakariņām. | He entered the room before dinner. |
| Behind | Aiz | Sunītis slēpās aiz koka, mēģinot pārsteigt savu saimnieku. | The puppy hid behind the tree, trying to surprise its owner. |
| Below | Zemāk | Termometrs rāda zemākas temperatūras šovakar. | The thermometer shows lower temperatures tonight. |
| Beneath | Zem | Dzelzceļa tunelis iet zem Alpēm. | The railroad tunnel goes beneath the Alps. |
| Beside | Blakus | Viņa sēdēja blakus saviem draugiem koncerta laikā. | She sat beside her friends during the concert. |
| Between | Starp | Kafejnīca atrodas starp diviem veikaliem. | The cafe is located between two stores. |
| Beyond | Pēc | Viņa sapņoja par piedzīvojumiem pēc robežām savas dzimtenes. | She dreamed of adventures beyond the borders of her homeland. |
| But | Bet | Viņš mācēja spēlēt Ģitāru, bet ne vijolīnu. | He could play the guitar, but not the violin. |
| By | līdz | Darbs būs pabeigts līdz šīs nedēļas beigām. | The work will be completed by the end of this week. |
| Close to | Tuvs | Viņa māja ir ļoti tuvu pludmalei. | Her house is very close to the beach. |
| Due to | Dēļ | Pasākums tika atcelts dēļ neparedzētu apstākļu. | The event was canceled due to unforeseen circumstances. |
| Except for | Izņemot | Visi iegādājās iebūvētos augļus, izņemot ābolus. | Everyone bought the in-season fruits, except for apples. |
| Far from | Tālu no | Viņu māja ir tālu no pilsētas centra. | Their house is far from the city center. |
| Inside of | Iekšpusē | Slepeni lietas tika glabātas iekšā kumodes. | Secret items were stored inside of the dresser. |
| Instead of | Vietā | Es izvēlējos tēju vietā kafijas rīta dzēriena. | I chose tea instead of my morning coffee. |
| Next to | Pie | Manas klasesbiedres sēdēja blakus man pie stundām. | My classmates sat next to me in class. |
| Of | No | Šī ir glezna no slavena mākslinieka. | This is a painting by a famous artist. |
| On | Par | Dāma uz galda atstāja ķeksi par kafijas trauciņu. | The lady left a tip on the coffee saucer on the table. |
| Over | Pāri | Putni lidoja pāri debesīm uz siltām ziemas dienām. | Birds flew over the sky on warm winter days. |
| Per | Uz | Dzērieni tiek pārdoti uz glāzēm. | Drinks are sold per glass. |
| Since | Kopš | Viņš dzīvo šajā pilsētā kopš bērnības. | He has been living in this city since childhood. |
| Than | Nekā | Mana māsa ir gudrāka nekā es. | My sister is smarter than I am. |
| Through | Caur | Viņi ceļoja caur mežu, lai sasniegtu savu galamērķi. | They traveled through the forest to reach their destination. |
| Till | Līdz | Veikals ir atvērts līdz pusnaktij. | The store is open till midnight. |
| To | Uz | Es eju uz veikalu iepirkties. | I am going to the store to shop. |
| Toward | Uz | Viņa skatījās uz debesīm, cerot redzēt zvaigznes. | She looked toward the skies, hoping to see the stars. |
| Under | Zem | Bērni spēlējās zem galda. | The children played under the table. |
| Unlike | Atšķirībā no | Viņi bija pilnīgi atšķirībā no savām māsas personībām. | They were completely unlike their sister’s personalities. |
| Until | Līdz | Es lasīju grāmatu līdz pusnaktij. | I read the book until midnight. |
| Up | Uz augšu | Viņš skrēja pa kāpnēm uz augšu, cenšoties sasniegt virsotni. | He ran up the stairs, trying to reach the top. |
| Via | Caur | Viņi sazinājās viens ar otru caur e-pastu. | They communicated with each other via email. |
| With | Ar | Es gatavoju vakariņas ar saviem draugiem. | I cooked dinner with my friends. |
| Within | Iekšā | Jāpabeidz projekts iekšā noteiktajā termiņā. | The project must be completed within the set deadline. |
| Without | Bez | Es iztiku bez cukura šajā tējā. | I managed without sugar in this tea. |
Start Learning Latvian With Ling!
Want to learn Latvian but can’t find a comprehensive language-learning app that teaches it? Then you haven’t tried the Ling app yet!
The Ling app is designed to help all who are passionate about learning a new language. It teaches you Latvian from scratch with game-like activities, such as multiple-choice writing and listening exercises, grammar tips, mini quizzes, vocabulary matching, and an AI chatbot to practice your Latvian speaking skills.
So, what are you waiting for? Download the Ling app from the App Store or Play Store and start learning Latvian today!
Hey! Did you know that Ling has a massive blog covering all things related to language learning? Visit Ling’s Latvian blog weekly for articles about the Latvian language and its culture!
