Latvian Conjugations

Latvian has three conjugations for verbs: Short , Long and Mixed. They can also be referred to as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd conjugations, respectively, but that nomenclature isn’t always consistent.

To determine whether a verb fits into the short, long or mixed conjugation, apply the following rules:

1. If the infinitive form has one syllable , it is a short conjugation verb.
2. If the infinitive form has more than one syllable and the first person present form is identical to the first person simple past form, it is a long conjugation verb.
3. If the infinitive has more than one syllable and the first person present is different from the first person simple past form, it is a mixed conjugation verb.

However, you also have to remember that prefixes , such as ap, at, pie , etc., do not count as syllables. So, pienākt is a short conjugation verb because it is nākt plus a prefix.

Even though reflexive verbs add an - ies to the end of the infinitive, they still follow the rules. You can drop the -ies to help you determine whether the infinitive is one syllable (ceļties -> ceļt) and look at the first person present and past forms. If they are the same, the verb belongs to the long conjugation.