The purpose of this list is to give a rough idea of the Latvian language. The words listed below are not the most common Latvian words, but a broad sampling of words. See the Word Lists page for more details.
| English | Latvian (Latviešu Valoda) |
| I | es |
| you (singular) | tu |
| he | viņš |
| we | mēs |
| you (plural) | jūs |
| they | viņi |
| this | šis |
| that | tas |
| here | šeit |
| there | tur |
| who | kurš |
| what | kas |
| where | kur |
| when | kad |
| how | kā |
| not | ne |
| all | viss |
| many | daudz |
| some | daži |
| few | nedaudzi |
| other | cits |
| one | viens |
| two | divi |
| three | trīs |
| four | četri |
| five | pieci |
| big | liels |
| long | garš |
| wide | plats |
| thick | biezs |
| heavy | smags |
| small | mazs |
| short | īss |
| narrow | šaurs |
| thin | tievs |
| woman | sieviete |
| man (adult male) | vīrietis |
| man (human being) | cilvēks |
| child | bērns |
| wife | sieva |
| husband | vīrs |
| mother | māte |
| father | tēvs |
| animal | dzīvnieks; zvērs; |
| fish | zivs |
| bird | putns |
| dog | suns |
| louse | uts |
| snake | čūska |
| worm | tārps |
| tree | koks |
| forest | mežs |
| stick | žagars; miets; nūja; |
| fruit | auglis |
| seed | sēkla |
| leaf | lapa |
| root | sakne |
| bark (of a tree) | miza |
| flower | zieds; puķe; |
| grass | zāle |
| rope | aukla; virve; striķis; |
| skin | āda |
| meat | gaļa; miesa; |
| blood | asinis |
| bone | kauls |
| fat (noun) | tauki |
| egg | ola |
| horn | rags |
| tail | aste |
| feather | spalva |
| hair | mats |
| head | galva |
| ear | auss |
| eye | acs |
| nose | deguns |
| mouth | mute |
| tooth | zobs |
| tongue (organ) | mēle |
| fingernail | nags |
| foot | pēda |
| leg | kāja |
| knee | celis |
| hand | roka |
| wing | spārns |
| belly | vēders |
| guts | zarnas; iekšas; |
| neck | kakls |
| back | mugura |
| breast | krūts |
| heart | sirds |
| liver | aknas |
| to drink | dzert |
| to eat | ēst |
| to bite | kost |
| to suck | sūkt |
| to spit | spļaut |
| to vomit | vemt |
| to blow | pūst |
| to breathe | elpot |
| to laugh | smieties |
| to see | redzēt |
| to hear | dzirdēt |
| to know | zināt |
| to think | domāt |
| to smell | ost, saost; smaržot; |
| to fear | baidīties |
| to sleep | gulēt; dusēt; čučēt; |
| to live | dzīvot |
| to die | mirt |
| to kill | nogalināt |
| to fight | cīnīties, kauties |
| to hunt | medīt |
| to hit | sist |
| to cut | griezt |
| to split | sadalīt, sašķelt |
| to stab | durt |
| to scratch | skrāpēt |
| to dig | rakt |
| to swim | peldēt |
| to fly | lidot |
| to walk | iet |
| to come | nākt |
| to lie (as in a bed) | gulēt; gulties; |
| to sit | sēdēt; sēsties; |
| to stand | stāvēt; stāties; |
| to turn (intransitive) | griezties; |
| to fall | krist |
| to give | dot |
| to hold | turēt |
| to squeeze | spiest; žmiegt; |
| to rub | berzēt |
| to wash | mazgāt |
| to wipe | slaucīt |
| to pull | vilkt |
| to push | stumt; grūst; |
| to throw | mest; sviest; |
| to tie | siet |
| to sew | šūt |
| to count | skaitīt |
| to say | teikt; sacīt; |
| to sing | dziedāt |
| to play | spēlēt |
| to float | peldēt; pludināt; |
| to flow | tecēt |
| to freeze | salt; stingt; |
| to swell | uztūkt; piebriest; |
| sun | saule |
| moon | mēness |
| star | zvaigzne |
| water | ūdens |
| rain | lietus |
| river | upe |
| lake | ezers |
| sea | jūra |
| salt | sāls |
| stone | akmens |
| sand | smiltis |
| dust | putekļi |
| earth | zeme; augsne; |
| cloud | mākonis |
| fog | migla |
| sky | debess, debesis |
| wind | vējš |
| snow | sniegs |
| ice | ledus |
| smoke | dūmi |
| fire | uguns |
| ash | pelni |
| to burn | degt |
| road | ceļš |
| mountain | kalns |
| red | sarkans; ruds *(hair)*; |
| green | zaļš |
| yellow | dzeltens |
| white | balts |
| black | melns |
| night | nakts |
| day | diena |
| year | gads |
| warm | silts |
| cold | auksts |
| full | pilns |
| new | jauns |
| old | vecs; sens; |
| good | labs |
| bad | slikts; ļauns; |
| rotten | sapuvis |
| dirty | netīrs |
| straight | taisns; tiešs; |
| round | apaļš |
| sharp (as a knife) | ass |
| dull (as a knife) | truls |
| smooth | gluds |
| wet | mitrs; slapjš; |
| dry | sauss |
| correct | pareizs |
| near | tuvs |
| far | tāls |
| right | labais; pa labi; |
| left | kreisais; pa kreisi; |
| at | pie |
| in | iekš |
| with | ar |
| and | un |
| if | ja |
| because | tāpēc (ka); jo; |
| name | vārds; nosaukums; |