Module 09 · Moods and participles · Izteiksmes un divdabji · Level B1

Participles and Adverbial Participles

Divdabji

Latvian divdabji are declinable, partly declinable or indeclinable. The five common models below are an introduction, not the complete system. Other forms include declinable present passive -ams/-āms (lasāma grāmata) and indeclinable -am/-ām, -amies/-āmies (Es dzirdu viņu dziedam).

1. Adverbial participle -ot / -oties (nelokāmais divdabis)

Does not decline. Expresses a simultaneous action: "while doing." Present-tense stem (the mēs form minus its ending) + -ot: runājam → runājot, lasām → lasot, ejam → ejot, braucam → braucot; reflexive -oties: mācoties, skatoties, smejoties.

Ejot uz darbu, es klausos mūziku. — While walking to work, I listen to music. Runājot par to… — speaking of that. Nepamanot — without noticing.

With a different subject: Saulei lecot, mēs cēlāmies ("as the sun was rising") — dative + -ot.

2. Partly declinable -dams / -dama (daļēji lokāmais)

Also means "while doing," but agrees with the subject in gender and number: Viņš gāja smaidīdams. (He walked, smiling.) Viņa gāja smaidīdama. (She walked, smiling.) Bērni skrēja smiedamies. (The children ran, laughing.) Infinitive stem + -dams/-dama/-dami/-damas, reflexive -damies. Used less often than -ot, mostly in written language.

3. Active present participle -ošs (lokāmais)

"The one doing." Present-tense stem + -ošs / -oša: runājošs (speaking), lasošs (reading), smaidošs (smiling), strādājošs (working), dzīvojošs (living). Declines like an adjective: smaidoša meitene (a smiling girl), runājošais papagailis (the talking parrot).

4. Active past participle -is / -usi

"The one who did": atnācis / atnākusi (having arrived), izlasījis / izlasījusi (having read), noguris / nogurusi (tired), pieradis (accustomed), pazudis (missing/lost). It forms compound tenses (esmu izlasījis — I have read) and works as an adjective: nogurušais cilvēks (the tired person), pazudušais suns (the lost dog).

5. Passive participle -ts / -ta

"Done, made": uzrakstīts, izlasīta, atvērtas — see the Passive Voice topic.

Summary table using lasīt

Exercise

Form: 1) strādāt → "while working" 2) smaidīt → "the one smiling (fem.)" 3) aiziet → "the one who left" 4) pārdot → "sold (masc.)"

Open the lesson in the trainer — with exercises and a “done” mark →Module test 09