Language/Standard-latvian/Vocabulary/Family-and-relationships

Standard Latvian Vocabulary → Daily life and routines → Family and relationships

Introduction

In this lesson, you will learn how to talk about family members and various relationships in Standard Latvian. Family is very important in Latvian culture, and it is customary to have large extended families. Latvians also value personal relationships and friendships, so it is useful to know how to talk about them in Latvian.

With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: Animals & Clothes.

Family Members

Here are some common family members and how to say them in Standard Latvian:

Standard Latvian	Pronunciation	English
tētis	TEH-tis	father
māte	MAH-teh	mother
dēls	dehls	son
meita	MAY-tah	daughter
brālis	BRAH-lis	brother
māsa	MAH-sa	sister
vecmāmiņa	vets-MAH-mee-nya	grandmother
vectētis	vets-TEH-tis	grandfather
puisis	pwee-sis	boyfriend
meitene	MAY-teh-neh	girlfriend

Family Relationships

Here are some common family relationships and how to say them in Standard Latvian:

• mana ģimene - my family
• mūsu ģimene - our family
• draudzene - female friend/girlfriend
• draugs - male friend/boyfriend
• sieva - wife
• vīrs - husband
• vecāki - parents
• bērni - children
• māsa - sister
• brālis - brother
• tēvs - father
• māte - mother
• meita - daughter
• dēls - son
• vectēvs - grandfather
• vecmāmiņa - grandmother

Important Phrases

Here are some useful phrases for talking about family and relationships in Latvian:

• Sveiki, mani vecāki ir... - Hello, my parents are...
• Man ir brālis/māsa. - I have a brother/sister.
• Es mīlu savu sievu/vīru. - I love my wife/husband.
• Man ir draudzene/draugs. - I have a girlfriend/boyfriend.
• Es mīlu savu bērnu. - I love my child.
• Mana ģimene ir man svarīga. - My family is important to me.

Conclusion

Learning how to talk about family members and relationships in Standard Latvian is an important step in becoming proficient in the language. It will allow you to communicate more effectively with Latvians and gain a deeper appreciation of their culture. Use the above vocabulary and phrases to start practicing today!

Upon wrapping up this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Count to 10 & Greetings and introductions.

Table of Contents - Standard Latvian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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Introduction to Latvian grammar

• Nouns and their declensions
• The verb "to be" and basic sentence structure
• Adjectives and their agreement with nouns

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Daily life and routines

• Greetings and introductions
• Numbers and time
• Family and relationships

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Latvian traditions and customs

• Latvian holidays and celebrations
• Latvian cuisine
• Latvian folklore and crafts

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Verbs and tenses

• Latvian verb conjugation in the present tense
• The past tense and other verb forms

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Going shopping and using public transport

• Buying groceries and household items
• Using public transport

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Latvian geography and landmarks

• Latvian cities and regions
• Latvian nature and national parks

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Adverbs and prepositions

• Adverbs of time and location
• Prepositions and their cases

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Leisure activities and hobbies

• Free time activities and sports
• Music, films and books

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Latvian arts and museums

• Latvian art and architecture
• Latvian museums and exhibitions

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The accusative case and indirect objects

• The accusative case and direct objects
• Indirect objects and the dative case

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Education and employment

• School subjects and degrees
• Jobs and professions

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Latvian history and politics

• Major historical events and figures
• Modern politics and society

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Conditional and subjunctive mood

• The conditional mood and hypothetical situations
• The subjunctive mood and wishes

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Travel and tourism

• Means of transport and directions
• Accommodation and booking

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Latvian culture and identity

• Latvian language and literature
• Latvian music and dance traditions

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The genitive and possessive forms

• The genitive case and possession
• The possessive forms and characteristics

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Health and wellness

• Body parts and basic health issues
• Healthy living and habits

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Latvian sports and outdoor activities

• Popular sports and events
• Nature and outdoor recreation

Other Lessons

• Music, films and books
• Drinks
• Fruits
• Numbers and time
• Days of the Week
• Family
• Greetings and introductions
• Means of transport and directions
• Count to 10