This article describes the use of prepositions and postpositions in Latvian grammar.

The lists below are organized according to the case of the noun phrase following the preposition. In the plural, however, all prepositions in Latvian can be described as governing the dative case. For example:

  • singular: bez manis/*man "without me-gen/*me-dat"
  • plural: bez mums/*mūsu "without us-dat/*us-gen"

Examples

Latvian English approximate Case Frequency Example phrase Translation
aiz behind genitive 172 Paslēpties aiz liela koka

Apspriede notika aiz slēgtām durvīm

To hide behind a large tree

The discussion took place behind closed doors

bez without genitive 446
kopš since genitive 133
no from genitive 3524 Skaitīt no viens līdz desmit To count from one to ten
pēc after genitive 980 Pēc darba braucu uz mājām

Pēc diviem mēnešiem būs pārbaudījumi

After work I go home

After two months there will be a test

pie at, on, to genitive 1275 Māja pie jūras A house on the sea
pirms before (time or location with time connotation). genitive 0 Viņš stāvēja pirms manis rindā he stood before me in line
uz to, on (location) genitive 3664
virs above, over genitive 191 Mati virs galvas

Uzraksts virs durvīm

Hair over the head

The inscription above the door *

zem under genitive 106
ap around, about, ca. accusative 72
ar with accusative  4682
caur through accusative 106 Jāt caur mežu

Smaidīt caur asarām

To ride through the forest

To smile through the tears

gar along accusative 24
pa by, in, on, during accusative 637 Iet pa ceļu

Pa naktīm

To walk along the road

During night *

pār over, across accusative 63 Pār upi Across the river
par about accusative 4328
pret against accusative 407
starp between accusative 191 Galds atrodas starp skapi un logu

Sēdēt starp draugiem

The table is situated between the cabinet and the window

To sit among friends

uz to, towards accusative 3664
līdz until dative 619
    • some nouns are singular in English but plural in Latvian (e.g. durvis "door"), thus triggering the dative case.

Archaic forms

Latvian English approximate Case Example phrase Translation
apakš under genitive
ārpus beside, out of genitive
iekšpus inside genitive
lejpus below genitive
otrpus across, beyond, on the other side (of), over genitive
šaipus on this side (of) genitive
viņpus in other side genitive
virspus above, on genitive
iekš in genitive
iz from, out of genitive iz apakšzemes from the underworld
priekš for (location wise) genitive

Semi-prepositions

Latvian has also some adverbs, known as pusprievārdi "semi-prepositions", which can be used like prepositions or postpositions, in combination with a dative noun phrase:

  • cauri - through
  • garām - past, over, by
  • iepretim - in front of
  • līdzi - with
  • pāri - over, across
  • pretī - in front of, against

Postpositions

The following postpositions govern the genitive case, in both singular and plural:

  • dēļ - through, of, for
  • labad - for, for the sake of
  • pēc - because of

See also

Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latvian_prepositions
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