Understanding Latviešu Third Conjugation Verbs
In the Latvian language, verbs are words that describe actions. The Third Conjugation Verbs are a special group of verbs that follow certain rules when they change their form. These verbs usually end in '-īt' in their basic form, also known as the infinitive.
Important Points
- These verbs are usually intransitive, meaning they do not take a direct object.
- They often describe actions that happen to the subject itself.
- The stem of the verb can change when conjugated.
- They follow a specific pattern for different tenses.
Let's look at how these verbs change when we use them in sentences. Just like in English, verbs change depending on when the action happens. We call these changes 'conjugations'. In Latvian, we have different endings for verbs depending on whether the action is happening now, happened in the past, or will happen in the future.
Conjugating Third Conjugation Verbs
To conjugate Third Conjugation Verbs, we change the ending of the verb. Here is how we do it for the present tense:
Important Points
- For 'I' (es): add '-u'
- For 'You' (tu): add '-i'
- For 'He/She/It' (viņš/viņa/tas): add '-a'
- For 'We' (mēs): add '-am'
- For 'You all' (jūs): add '-at'
- For 'They' (viņi/viņas): add '-a'
Examples
- Es mazgāju rokas. (I am washing my hands.)
- Tu mazgāji rokas. (You are washing your hands.)
- Viņš mazgā rokas. (He is washing his hands.)
To talk about actions that happened in the past, we use the past tense. This is how we change the endings:
Important Points
- For 'I' (es): add '-īju'
- For 'You' (tu): add '-īji'
- For 'He/She/It' (viņš/viņa/tas): add '-īja'
- For 'We' (mēs): add '-ījām'
- For 'You all' (jūs): add '-ījāt'
- For 'They' (viņi/viņas): add '-īja'
Examples
- Es mazgāju rokas vakar. (I washed my hands yesterday.)
- Tu mazgāji rokas vakar. (You washed your hands yesterday.)
- Viņš mazgāja rokas vakar. (He washed his hands yesterday.)
For actions that will happen in the future, we use the future tense. Here are the endings:
Important Points
- For 'I' (es): add '-īšu'
- For 'You' (tu): add '-īsi'
- For 'He/She/It' (viņš/viņa/tas): add '-īs'
- For 'We' (mēs): add '-īsim'
- For 'You all' (jūs): add '-īsiet'
- For 'They' (viņi/viņas): add '-īs'
Examples
- Es mazgāšu rokas rīt. (I will wash my hands tomorrow.)
- Tu mazgāsi rokas rīt. (You will wash your hands tomorrow.)
- Viņš mazgās rokas rīt. (He will wash his hands tomorrow.)