Module 07 · The verb: present tense · Darbības vārds: tagadne · Level A1
Irregular verbs in the present tense
Neregulārie darbības vārdi tagadnē
Latvian really has only three truly irregular verbs — būt, iet, dot — plus a group of 1st-conjugation verbs with strong stem alternations. Their forms just have to be learned.
The three main ones
| būt (to be) | iet (to go) | dot (to give) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| es | esmu | eju | dodu |
| tu | esi | ej | dod |
| viņš | ir | iet | dod |
| mēs | esam | ejam | dodam |
| jūs | esat | ejat | dodat |
| viņi | ir | iet | dod |
Prefixed forms of iet and dot conjugate the same way: aiziet → aizeju, aizej, aiziet; atdot → atdodu, atdod.
Strong alternations in the 1st conjugation
| Infinitive | es | tu | viņš | mēs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ēst (to eat) | ēdu | ēd | ēd | ēdam |
| nākt (to come) | nāku | nāc | nāk | nākam |
| saprast (to understand) | saprotu | saproti | saprot | saprotam |
| atrast (to find) | atrodu | atrodi | atrod | atrodam |
| pirkt (to buy) | pērku | pērc | pērk | pērkam |
| likt (to put) | lieku | liec | liek | liekam |
| tikt (to get somewhere, to become) | tieku | tiec | tiek | tiekam |
| sākt (to begin) | sāku | sāc | sāk | sākam |
| ņemt (to take) | ņemu | ņem | ņem | ņemam |
| celt (to lift) | ceļu | cel | ceļ | ceļam |
| just (to feel) | jūtu | jūti | jūt | jūtam |
| skriet (to run) | skrienu | skrien | skrien | skrienam |
| dzert (to drink) | dzeru | dzer | dzer | dzeram |
| prast (to know how) | protu | proti | prot | protam |
| gulēt (to sleep, 3rd) | guļu | guli | guļ | guļam |
| sēdēt (to sit, 3rd) | sēžu | sēdi | sēž | sēžam |
| teikt (to say) | saku | saki | saka | sakām |
The 2nd person singular — a tricky spot
In the 1st conjugation, the consonant of the tu form often changes: k → c (nāku → nāc, sāku → sāc, lieku → liec, pērku → pērc), g → dz (lūdzu → lūdz). Verbs in -st add -i: saproti, atrodi, proti. ēst just becomes ēd.
How to learn them
Write down every new verb as a triple: infinitive — es (present) — es (past): saprast — saprotu — sapratu; pirkt — pērku — pirku; nākt — nāku — nācu. Everything else follows from that triple — it's exactly what the "i" button in the dictionary shows too.
Exercise
Put into the 2nd person singular: nākt, likt, saprast, ēst, dot.
Answers
nāc · liec · saproti · ēd · dodOpen the lesson in the trainer — with exercises and a “done” mark →Module test 07