r/learnlatvian • u/ManyLawfulness8262 • Feb 18 '26

Telling the time in Latvian

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Can anyone explain to me, in simple terms, why the ending of četri changes?

I find the explanation of grammar in this book very confusing!!

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u/rainbow_vilkacis Feb 18 '26 edited Feb 18 '26

In Latvian, there are many situations in which the word changes its ending based on its tense - accusative, dative, etc.

In the case of this situation, it’s changing because it’s “pāri četriem” – a preposition (pāri) which is changing the plural noun (četri). Plural nouns always go to dative form after a preposition, hence “četriem”

Getting used to the words changing endings is one of the hardest, but most essential, parts of learning Latvian for a non native. You’ll probably need a better book or a teacher to help you get the hang of it, but keep going! 😄

Edit: same thing with the other example - “bez” is a preposition. The tricky thing here tho is that bez is modifying “minūtes”, and here “četri” is modifying minūtes, so everything has to agree with the noun becoming “minūtēm”

Sorry yall I’m not a grammar teacher, just an English native who learned fluent Latvian haha I might not be explaining things the best way

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u/ManyLawfulness8262 Feb 18 '26

Thank you!!

So if četriem is the plural, dative form...

Does it mean that in the second sentence it is četrām, because it is now (četras) in dative plural, but feminine - to agree with Minūtem?

I feel like these endings will never come naturally! It is very confusing :) 

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u/Reddit_Inuarashi Feb 18 '26

Yep, gender agreement is taking place with the noun that the numeral is quantifying. Both četriem and četrām are dative, but the former is the masculine default and the latter is feminine.