Understanding verb conjugation is an essential step when you start learning Latvian.

Verbs dictate the action in your sentences.

Latvian verbs follow distinct structural patterns.

You have to change the endings based on who is doing the action and when it happens.

With a few simple rules, you can master these patterns very quickly.

If you want to practice these concepts interactively, I highly recommend using Talk In Latvian.

Keep reading and I’ll explain exactly how to conjugate Latvian verbs.

The Latvian infinitive

Every Latvian verb starts in its dictionary form, which is called the infinitive.

Standard Latvian verbs will always end in the letter -t.

Sometimes they end in -ties, which indicates a reflexive verb.

Reflexive verbs show that the action reflects back onto the speaker.

The three conjugation classes

Latvian verbs are divided into three distinct groups.

We call these groups conjugations.

You can usually figure out the group by looking at the infinitive ending and the present tense stem.

First conjugation verbs are short and usually have one syllable in the infinitive.

Second conjugation verbs typically end in -āt, -ot, -ēt, or -īt and keep this long vowel in the present tense.

Third conjugation verbs also end in long vowels but drop them in the present tense.

I’ll focus on basic patterns so you can start speaking right away.

Let’s look at the verb lasīt (to read), which is a very common third conjugation verb.

Present tense in Latvian

The present tense describes actions happening right now.

You must remove the infinitive ending -t and add the correct personal ending.

Latvian has six distinct persons.

Here’s the personal pronouns and the present tense endings for a regular verb like lasīt.

Notice that the third person singular and plural are exactly the same.

This is a consistent rule across all Latvian verbs.

Past tense in Latvian

The past tense describes actions that are already completed.

Latvian forms the past tense by adding a past tense marker, usually an -i or -ī, before the personal ending.

Let’s look at how to conjugate lasīt in the past tense.

Again, the third person forms remain identical.

Future tense in Latvian

The future tense talks about actions that will happen later.

This tense is very regular and easy to learn.

You form it by inserting an -š- or -s- marker into the verb stem.

Here’s the future tense of lasīt.

In spoken Latvian, people often shorten the jūs form from -siet to -sit.

Reflexive verbs

Reflexive verbs end in -ties instead of -t.

They require a different set of endings.

Instead of ending in a plain vowel, the conjugated forms will end in an -s or -ies.

For example, mācīties means “to learn” or “to teach oneself”.

In regional dialects like Latgalian, verb endings can sound quite different.

Standard Latvian endings are understood throughout the entire country.