Start here: your beginner roadmap
Latvian looks unique, but for English-speaking beginners the first wins come fast: fixed stress, regular sounds, and useful patterns. Aim for A1–A2 goals: introduce yourself, order food, ask for directions, talk about family and daily routines. Keep sessions short and consistent. Ten to twenty focused minutes a day beats a long weekend binge. Track words you learn and review them often.
- Set a clear why: travel, family, work, or culture.
- Build a tiny daily habit: 10 minutes every day.
- Mix inputs: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Pronunciation and alphabet basics
Stress almost always falls on the first syllable in Latvian, which helps beginners sound natural quickly. Learn the long vowels (ā, ē, ī, ū) and the special consonants (č, ģ, ķ, ļ, ņ, š, ž). Long vowels matter: māja (house) is not the same as maja. The common name Dace is pronounced DAH-tseh. Read words out loud early and often; Latvian spelling is mostly phonetic, so what you see is close to what you say.
- Practice pairs: a/ā, e/ē, i/ī, u/ū.
- Tap the r lightly and keep vowels pure and steady.
- Record yourself for quick feedback on long vs short sounds.
Best free online tools and apps
You can learn Latvian online for free with a smart mix of resources. Duolingo does not currently offer a Latvian course, but you can still use other apps and sites to build your habit. Look for YouTube lessons for beginners, free PDFs from official language agencies, community Anki or Memrise decks, and easy articles from public media with audio. If you like a physical feel, borrow a beginner book from your library or download open readers with parallel texts.
- Apps: Memrise community decks, Clozemaster, Anki (free flashcards).
- Listening: beginner playlists and slow news with transcripts.
- Reading: graded texts and simple online articles with audio.
- Dictionaries: bilingual online dictionaries and verb tables.
- Community: language exchange groups to practice speaking.
Simple grammar you can use today
Latvian often uses Subject–Verb–Object, like English: Es dzeru kafiju (I drink coffee). Nouns have cases, but you can start with everyday patterns and learn the rest over time. Focus on present tense, basic questions, and set phrases. Notice endings for gender and number, and learn common prepositions in chunks. Keep a small phrasebook you reuse in real conversations.
- Greetings: Sveiki or Čau; Goodbye: Atā or Uz redzēšanos.
- Introduce yourself: Es esmu Anna. Mani sauc Tom.
- Ask politely: Lūdzu and Paldies go a long way.
- Everyday needs: Es gribu ūdeni; Cik tas maksā.
- Meet someone: Šis ir Dace; Viņa ir mana draudzene.
A free 14‑day study plan (10–20 minutes daily)
Here is a simple plan you can repeat and expand. Keep notes in one place, review daily, and speak out loud. If a day feels heavy, cut time, not consistency. Consistency helps beginners more than anything else.
- Day 1: Learn the alphabet and long vowels; read 20 words aloud.
- Day 2: Greetings and introductions; record yourself.
- Day 3: Numbers 1–20 and prices; listen to a short dialogue.
- Day 4: Family words; build 5 sentences about your family.
- Day 5: Food and drinks; practice ordering politely.
- Day 6: Review with an app and flashcards; 50 spaced reviews.
- Day 7: Watch a beginner video; write 5 new phrases.
- Day 8: Present tense of būt (to be) and darīt (to do).
- Day 9: Places in town; ask for directions.
- Day 10: Time and days; plan a simple schedule.
- Day 11: Read a short graded text online; highlight unknowns.
- Day 12: Borrow a beginner book or free reader; read 1 page.
- Day 13: Speak for 2 minutes about your day; mention Dace or a friend.
- Day 14: Big review; create your next 14‑day goals.
FAQ
- Can I really learn Latvian for free as a beginner?
- Yes. Combine free apps, community flashcards, beginner videos, public media with transcripts, and official PDF materials. Add short daily speaking practice and you can reach A1–A2 without paying.
- Does Duolingo have Latvian?
- Not at the moment. If you enjoy Duolingo for habit building, pair it with other free Latvian resources, especially Anki decks, YouTube lessons, and graded texts with audio.
- What is the best free Latvian app?
- Use a mix: Anki for spaced repetition, Memrise community courses for vocabulary, and Clozemaster for context. None is perfect alone, but together they cover recall, context, and review.
- Which beginner book should I use?
- Check your local or online library for a Latvian beginner book or graded reader. Many libraries lend eBooks. Also look for free PDFs from official language agencies and universities.
- How should I practice speaking if I am shy?
- Shadow short clips daily, record yourself, and read dialogues aloud. Then try a weekly 15‑minute chat with a patient partner. Prepare set phrases in advance to reduce pressure.