This article describes the use of prepositions and postpositions in Latvian grammar.
The lists below are organized according to the case of the noun phrase following the preposition. In the plural, however, all prepositions in Latvian can be described as governing the dative case. For example: singular: bez manis/*man "without me-gen/*me-dat" plural: bez mums/*mūsu "without us-dat/*us-gen"
Examples
Latvian English approximate Case Frequency Example phrase Translation aiz behind genitive 172 Paslēpties aiz liela koka Apspriede notika aiz slēgtām durvīm To hide behind a large tree The discussion took place behind closed doors bez without genitive 446 kopš since genitive 133 no from genitive 3524 Skaitīt no viens līdz desmit To count from one to ten pēc after genitive 980 Pēc darba braucu uz mājām Pēc diviem mēnešiem būs pārbaudījumi After work I go home After two months there will be a test pie at, on, to genitive 1275 Māja pie jūras A house on the sea pirms before (time or location with time connotation). genitive 0 Viņš stāvēja pirms manis rindā he stood before me in line uz to, on (location) genitive 3664 virs above, over genitive 191 Mati virs galvas Uzraksts virs durvīm Hair over the head The inscription above the door * zem under genitive 106 ap around, about, ca. accusative 72 ar with accusative 4682 caur through accusative 106 Jāt caur mežu Smaidīt caur asarām To ride through the forest To smile through the tears gar along accusative 24 pa by, in, on, during accusative 637 Iet pa ceļu Pa naktīm To walk along the road During night * pār over, across accusative 63 Pār upi Across the river par about accusative 4328 pret against accusative 407 starp between accusative 191 Galds atrodas starp skapi un logu Sēdēt starp draugiem The table is situated between the cabinet and the window To sit among friends uz to, towards accusative 3664 līdz until dative 619
some nouns are singular in English but plural in Latvian (e.g. durvis "door"), thus triggering the dative case.
Archaic forms
Latvian English approximate Case Example phrase Translation apakš under genitive ārpus beside, out of genitive iekšpus inside genitive lejpus below genitive otrpus across, beyond, on the other side (of), over genitive šaipus on this side (of) genitive viņpus in other side genitive virspus above, on genitive iekš in genitive iz from, out of genitive iz apakšzemes from the underworld priekš for (location wise) genitive
Semi-prepositions
Latvian has also some adverbs, known as pusprievārdi "semi-prepositions", which can be used like prepositions or postpositions, in combination with a dative noun phrase: cauri - through garām - past, over, by iepretim - in front of līdzi - with pāri - over, across pretī - in front of, against
Postpositions
The following postpositions govern the genitive case, in both singular and plural:
dēļ - through, of, for labad - for, for the sake of pēc - because of
See also
Latvian declension