Language/Standard-latvian/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be
Hi Standard Latvian learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn how to use the verb "be" in Standard Latvian. We will look at the conjugation of the verb, as well as some examples of how it is used in sentences. By the end of this lesson, you will have a better understanding of how to use the verb "be" in Standard Latvian. Let's get started!
The verb "be" is one of the most important verbs in any language. In Standard Latvian, the verb "be" is conjugated as follows:
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| I | esmu | esam |
| You | esi | esat |
| He/She/It | ir | ir |
| We | esam | esam |
| You (plural) | esat | esat |
| They | ir | ir |
The verb "be" is used to describe the state or condition of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kā tu esi? (How are you?)
- Person 2: Es esmu labi. (I am good.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the location of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kur viņš ir? (Where is he?)
- Person 2: Viņš ir mājās. (He is at home.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the possession of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kas tev ir? (What do you have?)
- Person 2: Man ir dators. (I have a computer.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the identity of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kas tu esi? (Who are you?)
- Person 2: Es esmu skolotājs. (I am a teacher.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the characteristics of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kāds viņš ir? (What is he like?)
- Person 2: Viņš ir jautrs. (He is funny.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the age of something. For example:
- Person 1: Cik vecs tu esi? (How old are you?)
- Person 2: Es esmu divdesmit gadus vecs. (I am twenty years old.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the time of something. For example:
- Person 1: Cik vēlu tas ir? (What time is it?)
- Person 2: Tagad ir astoņi vakarā. (It is eight o'clock now.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the purpose of something. For example:
- Person 1: Ko tu dari? (What are you doing?)
- Person 2: Es esmu šeit, lai palīdzētu. (I am here to help.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the feelings of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kā tu jūties? (How do you feel?)
- Person 2: Es jūtos labi. (I feel good.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the opinion of something. For example:
- Person 1: Ko tu domā? (What do you think?)
- Person 2: Es domāju, ka tas ir labs. (I think it is good.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the ability of something. For example:
- Person 1: Vai tu vari to izdarīt? (Can you do it?)
- Person 2: Jā, es varu. (Yes, I can.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the relationship of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kas viņš ir? (Who is he?)
- Person 2: Viņš ir mans draugs. (He is my friend.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the origin of something. For example:
- Person 1: No kurienes tu esi? (Where are you from?)
- Person 2: Es esmu no Latvijas. (I am from Latvia.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the nationality of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kāda tu esi? (What are you?)
- Person 2: Es esmu latvietis. (I am Latvian.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the gender of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kāds viņš ir? (What is he?)
- Person 2: Viņš ir vīrietis. (He is a man.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the profession of something. For example:
- Person 1: Ko tu dari? (What do you do?)
- Person 2: Es esmu skolotājs. (I am a teacher.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the religion of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kāda tu esi? (What are you?)
- Person 2: Es esmu kristietis. (I am a Christian.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the size of something. For example:
- Person 1: Cik liels tas ir? (How big is it?)
- Person 2: Tas ir ļoti liels. (It is very big.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the color of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kāda krāsa tas ir? (What color is it?)
- Person 2: Tas ir zils. (It is blue.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the shape of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kāda forma tas ir? (What shape is it?)
- Person 2: Tas ir apaļš. (It is round.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the temperature of something. For example:
- Person 1: Cik silts tas ir? (How warm is it?)
- Person 2: Tas ir ļoti silts. (It is very warm.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the material of something. For example:
- Person 1: No kā tas ir? (What is it made of?)
- Person 2: Tas ir no koka. (It is made of wood.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the sound of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kā tas skan? (What does it sound like?)
- Person 2: Tas skan kā zvana. (It sounds like a bell.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the taste of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kā tas garšo? (What does it taste like?)
- Person 2: Tas garšo salds. (It tastes sweet.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the smell of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kā tas smaržo? (What does it smell like?)
- Person 2: Tas smaržo patīkami. (It smells nice.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the texture of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kā tas jūtas? (What does it feel like?)
- Person 2: Tas jūtas gluds. (It feels smooth.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the weight of something. For example:
- Person 1: Cik smags tas ir? (How heavy is it?)
- Person 2: Tas ir ļoti smags. (It is very heavy.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the speed of something. For example:
- Person 1: Cik ātri tas brauc? (How fast is it going?)
- Person 2: Tas brauc ļoti ātri. (It is going very fast.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the quantity of something. For example:
- Person 1: Cik daudz tas ir? (How much is it?)
- Person 2: Tas ir divi simti. (It is two hundred.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the duration of something. For example:
- Person 1: Cik ilgi tas ilgst? (How long does it last?)
- Person 2: Tas ilgst divas stundas. (It lasts two hours.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the frequency of something. For example:
- Person 1: Cik bieži tu to dari? (How often do you do it?)
- Person 2: Es to daru reizi nedēļā. (I do it once a week.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the intensity of something. For example:
- Person 1: Cik spēcīgs tas ir? (How strong is it?)
- Person 2: Tas ir ļoti spēcīgs. (It is very strong.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the quality of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kāda kvalitāte tas ir? (What quality is it?)
- Person 2: Tas ir augstas kvalitātes. (It is high quality.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the value of something. For example:
- Person 1: Cik vērtīgs tas ir? (How valuable is it?)
- Person 2: Tas ir ļoti vērtīgs. (It is very valuable.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the nature of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kāda tā ir? (What is it like?)
- Person 2: Tā ir patīkama. (It is pleasant.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the condition of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kāda tā ir? (What is it like?)
- Person 2: Tā ir laba. (It is good.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the source of something. For example:
- Person 1: No kurienes tas ir? (Where is it from?)
- Person 2: Tas ir no Amerikas. (It is from America.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the cause of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kāpēc tas notiek? (Why is it happening?)
- Person 2: Tāpēc, ka tas ir nepieciešams. (Because it is necessary.)
The verb "be" can also be used to describe the effect of something. For example:
- Person 1: Kāda ir tā sekas? (What are the consequences?)
- Person 2: T