/r/conlangs Chat Network Relay Game - Learn a Lang Natlang Relay 4

#7Latvian by Orbacle
LatvianEnglish

Visums ir ļoti liels. Es lidoju katrā vietā un pieskaros katrai lietai. Es atrodu tevi ar manām acīm. Es atrodu visu, kad es skatos uz tevi, un tu svin, tur ir cukurs. Es gribu mīlēt visu un es gribu būt spējīgs darīt visu. Neskatoties uz to, Visuma ainava ir skaista. Lielā pasaule ir atšķirīga, bet mēs varam triumfēt.

The Universe is very large. I fly to every place and touch every thing. I find you with my eyes. I find every thing when we look at you, and you celebrate, there is sugar. I want to love everything and I want to be capable of doing everything. Regardless, the scenery of the Universe is beautiful. The grand world is different, but we can triumph

Dictionary

  • Visums(m,s) = Universe
  • ļoti = very
  • Es = I
  • Tu = you
  • liels(m,s,adj) = large
  • lielā(f,s,definite adj. ending) = large, but usually great/grand
  • un = and
  • katrs = every
  • vieta(f,s) = place/location
  • lieta(f,s) = thing
  • acis(f,p,exception) = eyes
  • viss = all/everything
  • kad = when
  • uz = on,at
  • tur = there
  • cukurs(m,s) = sugar
  • spējīgs(s,adj) = able to/capable of
  • Neskatoties uz = regardless of
  • to = that
  • ainava(f,s) = scenery/landscape
  • skaists(s,adj) = beautiful
  • pasaule(f,s) = world
  • atšķirīgs(s,adj) = different
  • bet = but
  • mans = my
  • mēs = we

Verbs

  • “to be” forms: būt(inf.), esmu = am, esi = you are, ir = is
  • lidot = to fly
  • pieskarties = to touch
  • atrast = to find, atrodu = (I) find
  • skatīties = to look
  • svinēt = to celebrate
  • gribēt = to want
  • mīlēt = to love
  • darīt = to do
  • varam = can (we)
  • triumfēt = to triumph

Pronoun declension

Nom.EsTu
Gen.manistevis
Dat.mantev
Acc.manitevi
Ins.ar maniar tevi
Loc.manītevī

Sample declension

Nom.sarkanagrāmata
Gen.sarkanu grāmatu
Dat.sarkanai grāmatai
Acc.sarkanu grāmatu
Ins.ar sarkānu grāmatu
Loc.sarkanā grāmatā

Basic grammar and notes*:

Latvian is an inflected language with Subject-Verb-Object general world order. It uses 7 cases, 2 genders. Adjectives, numerals and pronouns preceed the noun and take the case, gender, number of the noun that is modified.
There are no articles but adjectives can have a definite ending instead. -s -> -ais, -a -> ā, etc.
In nominative case, most masculine nouns (and thus adjectives) end with -s, while feminine with -a or -e
Nouns that preceed another noun (object) take genitive case - such masculine nouns take -a ending
Dative case nouns usually can be described with “to whom”. Can rarely be used instead of accusative. m: -am/-iem (s/p); f: -ai/-ām (s/p)
Accusative case marks the object. Changes endings to -u/-i (I read a book = Es lasu grāmat(u))
Instrumental case “with what” adds a preposition “ar” (with) before the set of declensed words, gives accusative ending in singular and dative in plural.
Locative case denotes the location or the direction. Gives a long vowel ā/ē/ī.
Definite adjective might not have the same ending as other declensed words in a set.

Infinitive verbs end with -t (-āt,-ēt,-īt) or -ties
In 1st person (I) -t verbs end with -u or -ju, while -ties verbs end with -os
2nd person -t verbs either end with -i or don’t have the ending at all

* - these are general grammar rules that will be needed for translating this text. There are much more different endings and aspects.