In this post, you will learn how to say ‘how are you?’ in Latvian. You’ll also learn common responses so you can respond if you’re asked this question. This can be really useful if you’re speaking with someone from Latvia or if you’re travelling there.
Latvian is an Eastern Baltic language spoken in Latvia. There are approximately 1.75 million native speakers.
Table of Contents
How To Say ‘How Are You?’ In Latvian
There are a few different ways to ask ‘how are you?’. Here are the most common:
In informal situations, such as with friends, you can say:
| English | Latvian | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| How are you? | Kā tev iet? | Kaar tev i-et |
| How are you? (shortened form) | Kā iet? | Kaar i-et |
| How are you? | Kā tev sokas? | Kaar tev so-kas |
| How are you? (shortened form) | Kā sokas? | Kaar so-kas |
In more formal situations, such as with people you don’t know, you can say:
| English | Latvian | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| How are you? | Kā jums klājas? | Kaar yums klaa-yus |
| How are you? (shortened form) | Kā klājas? | Kaar klaa-yus |
The shortened forms are often used in conversation.
Check out the below video to hear the pronunciation of some of these phrases. Skip to 3:58 for ‘how are you?’:
How To Respond To ‘How Are You?’ In Latvian
There are many different ways that you can reply to this question. Below are the most common responses to this question. I’ve also included how to say ‘thank you’ as it’s polite to thank someone if they ask how you are.
| English | Latvian | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Thank you | Paldies | Puhl-dyes |
| I’m fine | Labi | Lah-bi |
| I’m ok/so-so | Nu tā | Nu taah |
| Not bad | Neslikti | Nes-lik-tee |
| I’m sick (male speaker) | Esmu slims | Ehs-moo sleems |
| I’m sick (female speaker) | Esmu slima | Ehs-moo slee-mah |
| I’m tired | Esmu noguris | Ehs-moo no-goo-ris |
It’s also useful to know how to say ‘and you?’ or ‘what about you?’ to find out how someone else is if they ask you.
| English | Latvian | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| And you? | Un jums? | Un yums |
Example Conversation:
Person 1: Kā iet? (How are you?)
Person 2: Paldies, labi. Un jums? (Thanks, I’m fine. And you?)
Person 1: Labi. (I’m fine)
Thanks for reading this post.
You should now know how to say ‘how are you?’ in Latvian and you should also be able to respond if you’re asked!
You can’t go wrong with these simple phrases.
Someone’s birthday coming up? Learn how to wish them a happy birthday in Latvian.
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