Lesson 11 - Latvian vocabulary drills

Added: 2026-05-11

[00:00:02]Latvian vocabulary drills lesson 11.

[00:00:05]Today we will learn some super basic words.

[00:00:09]Why did we have to wait till lesson 11?

[00:00:12]I don't really know. But as you remember, I follow the new program of the Latvian language center. So that's why, yeah, they have it on, I think, page three. So no problem. But of course, you have to learn them all, both the sim- standard sentences like I am as well as those words that we are going through today.

[00:00:33]Most probably you have already heard that in Latvian the stress goes on the first syllable. Yeah, like for example, es dzīvoju. Yeah, you have to say dzīvoju to put the stress on the first syllable. And now we will have a chance to learn some words that do not follow that rule. Yeah, yeah, the rules are here to break. There is a reason why because most of those uh words are actually compounds. So they they are made out of two words. And the stress then goes on the second, which kind of carries all the meaning. Like here. Labdien.

[00:01:07]Good afternoon. Well, in direct translation it is good day. Labdien.

[00:01:12]Labdien.

[00:01:14]Labvakar.

[00:01:15]Good evening. Labvakar.

[00:01:19]Labrīt.

[00:01:20]Good morning.

[00:01:22]Did you notice? Labdien, labvakar, labrīt.

[00:01:28]The stress goes on the first syllable of the second word. Yeah, labdien, labvakar, labrīt. So basically on the second syllable.

[00:01:37]Uz redzēšanos.

[00:01:40]Uz redzēšanos.

[00:01:43]Uz redzēšanos.

[00:01:45]Uh this is the difficult one. Uz redzēšanos. Goodbye.

[00:01:50]Sveiki.

[00:01:52]Hi or hello.

[00:01:53]I'm sure you have heard that.

[00:01:56]Lūdzu.

[00:01:58]Lūdzu has two meanings. It could be both please, like uh lūdzu palīdziet man, please help me, lūdzu palīdziet man, or if you are saying paldies, and then the person might reply with lūdzu, which is like you're welcome.

[00:02:15]Lūdzu.

[00:02:17]Then we get to paldies.

[00:02:20]Thank you.

[00:02:21]Again, right? The stress is here.

[00:02:23]Paldies.

[00:02:26]Piedodiet.

[00:02:29]Piedodiet in direct translation actually means forgive me.

[00:02:33]And this is something we use more like really when we've done something wrong.

[00:02:37]Even though honestly piedodiet, atvainojiet they're used quite interchangeably. Just like a lot of people don't really differentiate between excuse me and sorry.

[00:02:47]Uh I think here is the same thing. Of course, piedodiet is more like um I've done something wrong. And atvainojiet uh asking for forgiveness. Maybe because you're disturbing somebody. So piedodiet, atvainojiet.

[00:03:03]Which basically means you can pick one of them, whichever sounds easier for you, whichever you can say easier. Piedodiet, atvainojiet. And just stick to them.

[00:03:15]Jā.

[00:03:16]Yes.

[00:03:17]Nē.

[00:03:19]Jā.

[00:03:20]Nē.

[00:03:22]Let's read them all again. Labdien.

[00:03:26]Labvakar.

[00:03:28]Labrīt.

[00:03:31]Uz redzēšanos.

[00:03:33]Sveiki.

[00:03:36]Lūdzu.

[00:03:38]Paldies.

[00:03:40]Piedodiet.

[00:03:43]Atvainojiet.

[00:03:45]Jā.

[00:03:48]Nē.