This guide adapts rules and examples from Microsoft’s Latvian Localization Style Guide (originally written for software/UI localization). The underlying linguistic rules apply universally — to legal contracts, medical documents, marketing copy, and any Latvian translation work. Restructured and reformatted as a general Latvian translator reference by ChatsControl.

Latvian Translation Style Guide — Voice, Word Choice & Common Pitfalls (Legal, Medical, Marketing, IT)¶

TL;DR¶

• Latvian is highly inflected — seven cases and gender agreement; modifiers (descriptors) must be added before unlocalized product names in non-nominative positions.
• Address the user with jūs (lowercase); don’t overuse the pronoun — Latvian verb endings already mark second person.
• Avoid redundant veikt + verbal-noun constructions; use the simple verb (instalēt, pārbaudīt) instead.
• Acronyms have no Latvian case endings — restructure the sentence or add a descriptor (protokols DDC/CI) in non-nominative positions.
• Don’t start sentences with un / bet; don’t use the ampersand for “and”; don’t omit the interrogative particle vai in questions.

Register and tone for Latvian translation¶

Latvian is a traditional language, and there isn’t much room for the kind of casual modern register that English allows in marketing or UI copy. Translators should still aim for warm, active, friendly, and clear — but achieve it through different mechanisms than English does. The three Microsoft-voice principles map onto Latvian as follows:

• Warm and relaxed. Less formal, more grounded in honest conversations. In Latvian, this means using suggestive verb forms (varat darīt instead of pure imperative dariet) where possible, and avoiding bureaucratic Russian-era turns of phrase.
• Crisp and clear. Write short sentences. If a sentence sounds complicated, break it into two or three. Use parentheses, semicolons (instead of commas), or dashes to lighten the structure.
• Ready to lend a hand. Anticipate what the reader needs. Avoid the corporate “we” (Microsoft paziņo…). Keep focus on jūs — the reader.

Why this matters: Bureaucratic register damages outcomes across spheres. In marketing copy it kills conversion. In patient-facing medical materials it reduces comprehension and compliance. In software UI it creates friction. In consumer-facing legal documents plain language is increasingly mandated by regulators. Only sworn legal translation and technical specifications retain the older formal register.

Flexibility: rewriting for Latvian readers¶

Modify or rewrite translated strings so they sound natural to Latvian customers. Understand the whole sentence/paragraph/page intention, then rewrite as if composing yourself. Sometimes remove unnecessary content.

English	Latvian
Follow these steps to change your password.	Lai nomainītu paroli, veiciet šādas darbības:
Play around to see what works best for you.	Izmēģiniet vairākas iespējas, lai uzzinātu sev piemērotāko.

Functional equivalence¶

Strive for functional equivalence — the translation should function for Latvian readers as the source functions for English readers. Aim for naturalness, not formal one-to-one mapping. Adjust rhythm, phrasing, word order, parts of speech as needed.

English	Latvian — wrong	Latvian — correct	Why
We got the address book server successfully.	Adrešu grāmatas serveris sekmīgi iegūts.	Adrešu grāmatas serveris sekmīgi sasniegts.	“Got” here means “reached”, not “obtained”
The calendar group “{2}” is not empty.	Kalendāru grupa {2} nav tukša.	Kalendāru grupas {2} lauks nav tukšs.	Latvian “group” isn’t a container — add “lauks” (field)
Set to false if you want to have an email sent out to the assignee when a task is canceled.	…lietotājam, kuram tas ir piešķirts, tiktu nosūtīts e-pasts.	…uzdevuma saņēmējam tiktu nosūtīts e-pasta ziņojums, tiklīdz uzdevums tiek atcelts.	“Email” here is a message, not the service — translate as e-pasta ziņojums

Words and phrases to avoid¶

Bureaucratic and overly formal constructions¶

English source	Avoid	Preferred
You are in control	Kontrole ir jūsu rokās	Jūs vadāt
necessary to carry out	nepieciešams veikt	jāveic
check	izpildīt pārbaudi	pārbaudīt
put in order	savest kārtībā	sakārtot
utilize	ekspluatēt, utilizēt	lietot
subsequent	sekojošais	nākamais
provided below	zemāk minētais	nākamais, šis
give/provide guidance, give/provide information	sniegt palīdzību/nodrošināt informāciju	palīdzēt, informēt
identify	identificēt	noteikt
retry	atkārtot mēģinājumu	mēģināt vēlreiz
perform action	izpildīt darbību	paveikt
exist	eksistēt	pastāvēt, būt
have an opportunity	būt iespējamam	varēt
at the given moment	dotajā momentā	pašlaik
provided that	ar nosacījumu, ka	ja
in order to, with the aim of	ar mērķi/nolūku	lai
as a result	kā rezultātā	tādējādi, tā
To help prevent extra charges, keep this off.	Lai palīdzētu novērst papildu izmaksas, šo līdzekli turiet izslēgtu.	Lai izvairītos no papildu izmaksām, izslēdziet šo līdzekli.
Your PC is at risk of infection and needs you to take action.	Jūsu dators ir pakļauts inficēšanās riskam, un jums ir jārīkojas.	Dators var tikt inficēts, tāpēc jums ir jārīkojas.
sorry	atvainojiet, piedodiet	diemžēl

Why this matters: Verbose noun-constructions (nepieciešams veikt) are clinical and signal translation rather than native composition. In legal contracts they obscure who does what. In medical instructions they slow patient comprehension. In marketing they kill the rhythm. In software UI they waste pixels.

Avoid anglicisms¶

Source	Avoid	Preferred
innovative	inovatīvs	jauna veida, novatorisks
additionally	papildus	arī
creative	kreatīvs	radošs

Avoid slang¶

Avoid trendy slang in UI commands. Common slang OK only in marketing/explanatory text — but verify it’s in common usage.

Correct	Incorrect
Apskatiet sava drauga jaunos fotoattēlus	Parādiet savas foršākās bildes. (too much jargon)

Use “lūdzu” (please) judiciously¶

Use only when asking the user to do something inconvenient, asking them to wait, or when the software is to blame. Don’t sprinkle it on every imperative.

English	Latvian
Please wait while Windows copies the files to your computer.	Lūdzu, uzgaidiet, kamēr Windows iekopē failus datorā.
Please select Next to continue.	Lai turpinātu, atlasiet Tālāk. (drop lūdzu)
Please wait while the server is working on that.	Lūdzu, uzgaidiet, kamēr serveris apstrādā datus.
Unable to save using the specified format. Please select another format.	Nevar saglabāt, izmantojot norādīto formātu. Lūdzu, atlasiet citu formātu.
To improve your experience, please participate in the customer feedback program.	Lai uzlabotu lietošanas iespējas, lūdzu, iesaistieties klientu atsauksmju programmā.

Use “diemžēl” (sorry) only for serious problems¶

Don’t apologize during normal operation (e.g., waiting for network).

English	Latvian — wrong	Latvian — correct	Why
We’re sorry, the service isn’t available right now.	Pašlaik pakalpojums nav pieejams.	Diemžēl pašlaik pakalpojums nav pieejams.	Needs diemžēl — absence would be curt
Sorry, the maximum number of subscribed members has been reached.	Atvainojiet, bet ir sasniegts abonēto dalībnieku maksimālais skaits.	Diemžēl ir sasniegts maksimālais abonēto dalībnieku skaits.	atvainojiet not appropriate for this context

Avoid redundancy¶

Use one word when one will do. Saving space matters because of smaller screens. Don’t add descriptors unless required.

English	Latvian — wrong	Latvian — correct	Why
categorize, group, install	veikt kategorizēšanu, veikt grupēšanu, veikt instalēšanu	dalīt kategorijās, grupēt, instalēt	Simple verbs preferred over veikt + noun
In the case of a damaged disk, you must save the file to another location (for example, a different drive).	Gadījumā, ja disks ir bojāts, jums fails jāsaglabā citā vietā (piemēram, citā diskā).	Ja disks ir bojāts, fails ir jāsaglabā citā vietā (piemēram, citā diskā).	Drop “gadījumā” and “jums”
If this does not work…	Ja ar šīm darbībām problēmu neizdodas novērst…	Ja tas nelīdz…	Concision
Make the mouse easier to use	Padarīt peli vieglāk lietojamu	Vieglāka peles lietošana	Nominative noun construction needed for page title

Avoid rhyming and word repetition¶

Don’t repeat the same words or words with the same root in one sentence/paragraph.

English	Latvian — wrong	Latvian — correct
Choose the location where you want to save the file.	Izvēlieties vietu, kur vēlaties saglabāt failu.	Izvēlieties vietu, kur jāsaglabā fails.
Your accounts require Outlook to be activated as a device administrator to ensure security requirements are met.	Jūsu konti pieprasa Outlook aktivizēšanu par ierīces administratoru, lai nodrošinātu drošības prasību izpildi.	Lai tiktu izpildītas drošības prasības, jūsu kontiem ir nepieciešama programmas Outlook kā ierīces administratora aktivizēšana.

Word choice¶

Terminology¶

Use approved Microsoft terminology for key terms, technical terms, product names. Don’t switch between synonyms inside one product unless the Microsoft Language Portal lists them as approved alternates.

Synonyms¶

For non-term words (descriptive adjectives, adverbs, particles, conjunctions), Latvian synonyms can help avoid repetition. Verify each synonym matches context.

English	Latvian synonyms
before	līdz, pirms, iekams (especially with negative verb)
why	kāpēc, kādēļ
for the sake of	dēļ, labad
exciting	interesants, aizraujošs, neparasts, saistošs

Interchangeable terms:

English	Latvian synonyms
application, app, program	lietojumprogramma (Office), programma
refuse, reject	atteikties, noliegt, noraidīt
spam	surogātpasts, nevēlamais e-pasts, nevēlamais komerciālais e-pasts
weblog, blog	tīmekļa žurnāls, emuārs
ink, digital ink	rokraksts, ciparrokraksts
method	paņēmiens, metode
start	startēt, palaist
use	lietot, izmantot

Formal vs. simpler alternatives:

Source	Formal	Simpler
recommend	rekomendēt	ieteikt
additionally	turklāt, papildus	arī
control	kontrolēt	pārvaldīt, vadīt

Short word forms and everyday words¶

Use shortened forms when context is clear:

Source	Latvian	Usage
disk	disks	Any area of storage with a file system and drive letter
drive	diskdzinis	Hardware device that reads/writes disks
app	programma	Don’t use lietojumprogramma except for Office; lietotne is NOT approved
message	ziņojums	Shortened form of e-pasta ziņojums when context is clear
email	e-pasts	Not elektroniskais pasts
mail	pasts	Only when context clearly means email

Use unambiguous words¶

Choose words with clear meaning.

English	Wrong	Correct	Comment
Download the Data Gateway Management client and then install it on your machine.	Lejupielādējiet datu vārtejas pārvaldības klientu un tad instalējiet savā datorā.	Lejupielādējiet datu vārtejas pārvaldības klientu un pēc tam instalējiet savā datorā.	“tad” has multiple meanings; “pēc tam” is unambiguous

Acronyms¶

Latvian doesn’t naturally use acronyms — they reduce friendliness and comprehensibility. Acronyms lack case endings, so they’re syntactically ambiguous in non-nominative positions. Use acronyms only in table headings, drop-down menu items with space restrictions, or where the meaning is obvious.

Word-for-word translation: why direct mapping fails¶

Word-for-word translation produces stiff, unnatural Latvian. The result can be ridiculous or turn customers away. Split into shorter sentences if helpful. Omit descriptors for snappier text.

English	Latvian — incorrect	Latvian — correct
There’s a better way	Taču ir labāks ceļš.	Taču ir arī ērtāks veids.
If your professor has a PDF version of the handouts or case studies, you can save the files directly to your OneDrive or OneNote notebook.	Ja jūsu profesoram ir izdales vai citu materiālu PDF versija, jūs varat saglabāt failus tieši savā OneDrive vai OneNote piezīmju grāmatiņā.	Ja pasniedzējam izdales vai citi materiāli ir PDF formātā, varat saglabāt failus tieši savā OneDrive vai OneNote piezīmju grāmatiņā.
Aside from working together, OneDrive also makes it easy to share spring break photos, your band’s latest recording, a class video, or anything else you want to show your friends.	Varat ne tikai kopīgi strādāt OneDrive, bet arī vienkārši kopīgot pavasara brīvlaikā uzņemtās fotogrāfijas, mūzikas ansambļa jaunākos ierakstus, stundā uzņemto video vai ko citu, ko vēlaties parādīt draugiem.	Pakalpojumā OneDrive var ne tikai kopīgi strādāt, bet arī ērti kopīgot brīvlaikā uzņemtos fotoattēlus, savas mūzikas grupas jaunākos ierakstus, stundā uzņemto video vai jebko citu, ko vēlaties parādīt draugiem.
Be a presentation machine	Esiet prezentāciju mašīna	Vienmēr esiet gatavs prezentācijai
Check out more tips on how to save time and enhance your presentations in our blog post	Skatiet mūsu emuāra rakstā citus ieteikumus par to, kā ietaupīt laiku un uzlabot savu prezentāciju	Iepazīstieties ar citiem ieteikumiem par to, kā taupīt laiku un uzlabot savu prezentāciju, kas atrodas mūsu emuāru vietnē

Sample voice scenarios¶

Addressing the user to take action¶

English	Latvian	Note
The password isn’t correct, so try again. Passwords are case-sensitive.	Parole nav pareiza, tāpēc, lūdzu, mēģiniet vēlreiz. Paroles ir reģistrjutīgas.	Short, friendly retry
This product key didn’t work. Check it and try again.	Produkta atslēga nedarbojas. Lūdzu, pārbaudiet to un mēģiniet vēlreiz.	Polite check-and-retry. Use present tense unless past event
All ready to go	Viss sagatavots, lai sāktu	Don’t translate literally — natural Latvian
Would you like to continue?	Vai vēlaties turpināt?	Second person implied by verb form (no pronoun)
Give your PC a name—any name you want. If you want to change the background color, turn high contrast off in PC settings.	Piešķiriet datoram nosaukumu pēc saviem ieskatiem. Ja vēlaties mainīt fona krāsu, datora iestatījumu sadaļā izslēdziet augsta kontrasta iestatījumu.	Imperative mood, no pronoun

Explanatory text¶

English	Latvian	Note
The updates are installed, but Windows Setup needs to restart for them to work. After it restarts, we’ll keep going from where we left off.	Atjauninājumi ir instalēti, bet, lai tie darbotos, ir jārestartē Windows uzstādīšanas programma. Pēc tās restartēšanas turpināsim no tās vietas, kur palikām.	“We” → first-person plural verb for personal feel
If you restart now, you and any other people using this PC could lose unsaved work.	Ja restartēsit tūlīt, jūs un citi šī datora lietotāji varat zaudēt nesaglabāto darbu.	Clear, natural future-tense
This document will be automatically moved to the right library and folder after you correct invalid or missing properties.	Kad izlabosit nederīgos rekvizītus vai ievadīsit trūkstošos, šis dokuments tiks automātiski pārvietots uz pareizo bibliotēku un mapi.	Tense agreement in time clause
Something bad happened! Unable to locate downloaded files to create your bootable USB flash drive.	Radās sarežģījumi! Nevar atrast lejupielādētos failus, lai izveidotu palaižamu USB zibatmiņas disku.	Short sentences

Promoting a feature¶

English	Latvian	Note
Picture password is a new way to help you protect your touchscreen PC. You choose the picture—and the gestures you use with it—to create a password that’s uniquely yours.	Attēlparole ir jauns veids, kā aizsargāt datoru, kam ir skārienekrāns. Izvēlieties attēlu un žestus, kas jālieto kopā ar to, lai izveidotu savu unikālo paroli.	Em dash inappropriate for Latvian — use comma
Let apps give you personalized content based on your PC’s location, name, account picture, and other domain info.	Ļaujiet, lai programma piedāvā personalizētu saturu, ņemot vērā datora atrašanās vietu, nosaukumu, konta attēlu un citu domēna informāciju.	“PC” acronym not used in Latvian — translated to dators

How-to guidelines¶

English	Latvian	Note
To go back and save your work, select Cancel and finish what you need to.	Lai atgrieztos un saglabātu savu darbu, atlasiet Atcelt un pabeidziet iesākto.	Verb imperative carries second person
To confirm your current picture password, just watch the replay and trace the example gestures shown on your picture.	Lai apstiprinātu pašreizējo attēlparoli, noskatieties atkārtojumu un izpildiet attēlā parādītos žestus.	Tell user only what they need

Inclusive language¶

Comply with local language laws. Use plain, accessible language. Be mindful when referring to regions. Represent diverse perspectives in text and images. Don’t generalize or stereotype.

Replacement vocabulary¶

Use this	Not this	Latvian: use	Latvian: not
stop responding	hang	pārtrauc reaģēt, vairs nereaģē	uzkaras
expert	guru	eksperts, speciālists	guru, specs, profs
meeting	pow wow	sanāksme	pasēdēšana
colleagues, everyone, all	guys; ladies and gentlemen	kolēģi, visi, ikviens	zēni; dāmas un kungi
learning session	lunch and learn; brown bag session	mācību sesija	pamācīšanās pusdienu pauzē
parent	mother or father	vecāks	māte vai tēvs

Avoiding gender bias¶

In Latvian, the general professional form is masculine singular. Don’t write “pārdevējs(-a)” to mark gender — it makes text harder to read. Use gender-neutral alternatives:

Use	Avoid	Comment
stiprs cilvēks	spēkavīrs	Avoid direct gender references
skolēni	skolnieki/skolnieces	Use the general inclusive form

When generalizing, use plural noun forms (cilvēki, personas, studenti).

Avoid gendered pronouns (viņa, viņas, viņš, viņam etc.) in generic references:

• Rewrite to second person (jums) or use savs
• Use generalization (tas nav nepieciešams instead of viņam tas nav jādara)
• Rewrite to plural noun + pronoun
• Use demonstrative instead of personal pronouns (šis dokuments not viņa dokuments)
• Refer to role (lasītājs, darbinieks, klients)
• Use persona / indivīds

English	Latvian — preferred	Latvian — avoid
A user with the appropriate rights can set other users’ passwords.	Lietotājs ar piemērotām tiesībām var iestatīt citu lietotāju paroles.	Ja lietotājam ir piemērotas tiesības, viņš var iestatīt paroles citiem lietotājiem.
Developers need access to servers in their development environments, but they don’t need access to the servers in Azure.	Izstrādātājiem ir nepieciešama piekļuve serveriem savās izstrādes vidēs, taču tiem nav nepieciešams piekļūt Azure serveriem.	Izstrādātājam ir nepieciešama piekļuve serveriem viņa izstrādes vidē, taču viņam nav nepieciešams piekļūt Azure serveriem.
When the author opens the document ….	Kad autors atver savu dokumentu…	Kad autore atver viņas dokumentu..
To call someone, select the person’s name, select Make a phone call, and then choose the number you’d like to dial.	Lai kādam piezvanītu, atlasiet personas vārdu, atlasiet “Veikt tālruņa zvanu” un pēc tam izvēlieties attiecīgo tālruņa numuru.	Lai kādam piezvanītu, atlasiet viņa vārdu, atlasiet “Veikt tālruņa zvanu” un pēc tam atlasiet viņa numuru.

Don’t use viņš/viņa or viņam(-i) compound constructions.

Use gender-neutral verb forms. Where impossible, prefer past simple over present perfect (es aizmirsu paroli over es esmu aizmirsis(-usi) paroli). When perfect tense is required, use masculine singular.

English	Use	Avoid
Created by	Izveidoja	Izveidojis(-usi) lietotājs(-a)

Accessibility language¶

Focus on people, not disabilities. Don’t use words implying pity ((persona) kuru skārusi (slimība), kas cieš no).

Use	Avoid	Latvian use	Latvian avoid
person with a disability	handicapped	persona ar invaliditāti	invalīds
person without a disability	normal/healthy person	persona bez invaliditātes	normāla persona, vesels cilvēks
Select	Click	Atlasiet	Noklikšķiniet

Spell out un/plus/aptuveni rather than & / + / ~ — screen readers misread the symbols.

Grammar, syntax, and orthographic conventions¶

Abbreviations¶

Standard abbreviations:

Expression	Abbreviation
attēls	att.
dokuments	dok.
eksemplārs	eks.
ieskaitot	iesk.
lappuse	lpp.
miljons	milj.
nodaļa	nod.
pielikums	piel.
piemēram	piem.
pulksten	plkst.
skatiet	sk.
šā gada	š.g.
tas ir	t.i.
valoda	val.
vienskaitlis	vsk.

Rules: - Truncation with period: Formatēšana → Format., skatīt → sk. - Initial capitals: Domain Name Server → DNS - Abbreviations end with a consonant - Extended characters preserved (ā, č, ģ, etc.) - If sentence ends with abbreviation period, don’t add a second period - Don’t abbreviate one-syllable words

EK is ambiguous (European Community / European Commission / European Movement) — avoid where possible.

utt. / u.t.j.p. / u.c. should be used carefully — not in mid-sentence as connector. If used at end of an example list, can be deleted (example already implies “etc.”).

Acronyms¶

Always all-uppercase in Latvian.

Localized acronyms¶

English	Latvian
LCD	šķidro kristālu displejs
LAN	lokālais tīkls or LAN
URL	vienotais resursu vietrādis or vietrādis URL

Unlocalized acronyms¶

Most IT acronyms stay in English: HTML, SQL, XML, ICMP, POP, WAP. Add a modifier in the appropriate case when in non-nominative: protokols DDC/CI, displejs LCD.

Adjectives¶

Latvian adjectives inflect for gender, number, case. Without context, default to masculine singular nominative. Color names use feminine because krāsa is feminine.

Be careful with comparative and superlative — they don’t work with all adjectives.

English	Wrong	Correct
Add a personal touch	Personiskāks profils	Personisks profils

Don’t overuse possessive adjectives (savs, jūsu, mūsu):

English	Latvian
Click your mouse.	+ Noklikšķiniet ar peli. - Noklikšķiniet ar jūsu peli. / Noklikšķiniet ar savu peli.

Articles¶

Latvian has no articles. Definite-article meaning is rendered through definite adjective endings (or demonstrative pronouns — but avoid in technical text). Indefinite-article meaning through indefinite adjective endings.

English	Latvian
The Taskbar is adjustable and can be “hidden” from view until you need it to select an open program tab.	Uzdevumjoslu var pielāgot un paslēpt līdz brīdim, kad tā būs nepieciešama, lai atlasītu atvērtu programmas cilni.
You can change the size of the open program tabs so they don’t take up as much space on the Taskbar.	Atvērto programmas ciļņu lielumu varat mainīt, lai cilnes uzdevumjoslā neaizņemtu tik daudz vietas.

Microsoft product names and untranslated feature names are NEVER preceded by a definite/indefinite construction.

Capitalization¶

Don’t capitalize middle-of-sentence words in titles. Latvian capitalizes only the first word.

English	Latvian
Move Down…	+ Pārvietot lejup - Pārvietot Lejup
AutoArchive	+ Automātiskā arhivēšana - Automātiskā Arhivēšana / AutoArhivēšana

Don’t capitalize parenthetical explanations in lowercase contexts:

English	Latvian
Keep existing driver (Recommended)	+ Saglabāt esošo draiveri (ieteicams)

Don’t capitalize days, months, languages, nationalities, or adjectives derived from country names. Personal pronouns jūs / tu must be lowercase except in formal correspondence. Common nouns aren’t capitalized.

Compounds¶

Compound words may have different meanings than the phrase made of the same parts:

English	Phrase (Lietotāja vārds)	Compound (Lietotājvārds)	Comment
User name	“the user’s name”	“unique name identifying a user account”	Same words, different meanings

Hyphenated compounds used in rare cases: e-pasts.

Conjunctions¶

DON’T start a Latvian sentence with un (and) or bet (but) — that’s a grammar issue. (Even though English Microsoft voice does.)

English	Latvian — incorrect	Latvian — correct
And this is where you go to turn off or lock your computer.	Un šeit datoru var izslēgt vai slēgt.	Šeit datoru var izslēgt vai aizslēgt.

Don’t use ampersand (&). Render as un. The plus sign (+) for “and” may be used in headings (attēli + kamera) but not as a verb.

Gender¶

Latvian nouns and pronouns are masculine or feminine. Verb perfect forms imply gender. Adjectives and numerals agree with the noun.

Genitive¶

Don’t attach a Latvian genitive -s or -a to (trademarked) product names — it could be interpreted as name modification.

English	Latvian
Use this setting to enable or disable SharePoint Newsfeed.	+ Izmantojiet šo iestatījumu, lai iespējotu vai atspējotu SharePoint jaunumu plūsmu. - …SharePointa jaunumu plūsmu

Grammatical form consistency¶

Latvian has alternative second-person plural future endings: -āsiet/-āsit, -īsiet/-īsit, -ēsiet/-ēsit, -osiet/-osit, -ūsiet/-ūsit. Both forms are grammatical, but use the SHORT form (-āsit, -ēsit, -īsit, -osit, -ūsit) consistently throughout.

Use parallel grammatical form for items in lists, menus, dialog tabs:

English	Inconsistent	Consistent
In this article: Overview / Create an alert for a list or library / Create an alert for a folder… / Subscribe to an RSS Feed for a list / Subscribe to an RSS Feed for a view	Šajā rakstā: Pārskats / Kā izveidot brīdinājumu par sarakstu vai bibliotēku / Brīdinājuma izveide par mapi, failu vai saraksta vienumu / Abonējiet skata RSS plūsmu	Šajā rakstā: Pārskats / Saraksta vai bibliotēkas brīdinājuma izveidošana / Mapes, faila vai saraksta vienuma brīdinājuma izveidošana / Saraksta vai bibliotēkas RSS plūsmas abonēšana / Skata RSS plūsmas abonēšana

Parallelism in lists¶

English	Latvian (-)	Latvian (+)
Music / Video / Share / Listen	Mūzika / Video / Koplietot / Klausīties	Mūzika / Video / Koplietošana / Klausīšanās

Verbs → deverbal nouns for parallelism with nouns.

Localizing colloquialism, idioms, metaphors¶

Three options: 1. Replace with Latvian colloquialism only if a perfect fit 2. Translate the intended meaning (not literal) 3. Drop if can be omitted without affecting meaning

Avoid old-fashioned exclamations (Ak tu tētīt!).

English	Latvian
We’ve hit a snag…	Neliela aizķeršanās…
Bummer…	Sasodīts!
Working on it… Bear with us.	Pašlaik meklējam risinājumu… Lūdzu, nedaudz uzgaidiet.

Modifiers¶

In localized Latvian text, add modifiers (descriptors) before names of objects, menus, commands, dialog box elements, icons. Modifiers are critical when the whole phrase needs declension — decline only the modifier; keep the name in UI form.

English	Latvian
Click Save	Noklikšķiniet uz Saglabāt
Select Save from the File menu	Izvēlnē Fails atlasiet komandu Saglabāt / Izvēlnē Fails atlasiet Saglabāt

For placeholder strings where the variable may not match the case, add a modifier or separate with quotation marks or colon.

Use descriptors with unlocalized product names in non-nominative/possessive/instrumental cases. Modifier may be omitted if a preposition makes the relationship clear, or for length constraints.

English	Latvian
Download files from Windows Update	Lejupielādēt failus no Windows Update

Nouns¶

Latvian nouns are masculine or feminine, singular or plural. They serve as subject, attribute, predicate, adjunct, supplement, object.

Use deverbal nouns with -šana suffix for system status / ongoing processes:

English	Latvian
Saving the file	Faila saglabāšana

Inflection¶

Highly inflected: six declensions × seven cases. Nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, locative, instrumental, vocative.

Plurals¶

Add appropriate plural ending. Some nouns are singularia tantum (video, radio, audio, pārvaldība, programmatūra, aparatūra) or pluralia tantum (beigas, principal form of tikšanās, durvis).

English	Singular	Plural
file	fails	faili
menu	izvēlne	izvēlnes
program	programma	programmas

Singular vs. plural¶

When source allows both, use plural in target to avoid confusing endings. Use phrases like “vismaz viens” rather than “viens vai vairāki”.

English	Latvian
Fill in the field(s)	+ Aizpildiet laukus - Aizpildiet lauku(s)
To add one or more rows to a table…	+ Lai tabulai pievienotu vismaz vienu rindu… - Lai tabulai pievienotu rindu(as)…

Use (s) parenthetical plural only with length restrictions.

Numbers¶

Numbers 0–9 in running text are written as words (“seven unanswered calls” not “7”). In tables and standalone text use numerals.

Prepositions¶

Pay attention to correct preposition use. Influenced by English, translators often omit or reorder.

priekš is bookish/obsolete — use pirms for time/place.

English	Wrong	Correct
Your license expired one year ago.	Jūsu licences derīguma termiņš beidzās priekš viena gada.	Jūsu licences derīguma termiņš beidzās pirms viena gada.

Don’t use priekš for purpose either. Avoid two successive prepositions:

English	Wrong	Correct
The message could not be sent to the address related to this username due to an error.	Kļūdas dēļ uz ar šo lietotājvārdu saistīto adresi nevarēja nosūtīt ziņojumu.	Uz adresi, kas saistīta ar lietotājvārdu, kļūdas dēļ nevarēja nosūtīt ziņojumu.
with user-oriented theme	ar uz lietotāju vērstu dizainu	ar lietotājvērstu dizainu
with down arrow	ar uz leju vērstu bultiņu	ar lejupvērstu bultiņu

Click/tap conventions¶

Source	Latvian	Comment
click the button	+ noklikšķiniet uz pogas	Use “uz” for buttons, icons, tabs, menus, menu items
Do you want it to be placed on the desktop?	+ Vai vēlaties, lai mape tiktu novietota darbvirsmā?	Accusative for fields/desktop (no preposition)
Tap File	Pieskarieties pie Fails	Use “pie” before unlocalized words/phrases when no descriptor
Tap the OK button	Pieskarieties pogai Labi	Dative without preposition for descriptor + UI item
Tap the menu item	Pieskarieties izvēlnei	Dative without preposition

Pronouns¶

Use polite second person jūs (lowercase). Don’t capitalize it (except in letters).

Latvian verb endings already mark person, so jūs/jūsu often drop without losing meaning:

English	Latvian
You can open the file by double-clicking…	Failu varat atvērt, veicot dubultklikšķi…
Follow these steps in order to change your password:	+ Lai nomainītu paroli, rīkojieties šādi: - Izpildiet šīs darbības, lai mainītu savu paroli.

Use first person (es, man, mans) for “let users tell the program” but don’t translate every “I/me/mine”. Avoid third-person (“the user”) — sounds formal.

English	Latvian — bad	Latvian — good
You can change when new updates get installed.	Lietotāji var mainīt laiku, kad tiek instalēti atjauninājumi.	Varat mainīt laiku, kad jāinstalē atjauninājumi.
We recommend that you back up your files on a regular schedule.	Lietotājiem ieteicams regulāri dublēt failus.	Iesakām regulāri dublēt failus.
We strongly discourage you from installing these codec packs.	Lietotājiem nav ieteicams instalēt šīs kodeku pakotnes.	Nav ieteicams instalēt šīs kodeku pakotnes.
The information we collect won’t be used to personally identify you.	Savāktā informācija netiks izmantota, lai personiski identificētu lietotāju.	Mēs neizmantosim savākto informāciju, lai jūs identificētu.

Software/help texts address ONE user at a time — use singular endings even with the plural-form jūs.

English	Latvian
You are now connected to the internet.	Jūsu datorā tagad ir izveidots savienojums ar internetu.
After you restart your computer, a dialog box is displayed.	+ Kad esat restartējis datoru, tiek parādīts dialoglodziņš. - Kad esat restartējuši datoru, parādās dialoglodziņš.

Punctuation¶

Punctuation marks (quotation marks, colons, semicolons, exclamation, question) are NOT preceded by a space.

Bulleted lists¶

Introductory phrase ends with colon. Items don’t end with period unless they’re full sentences or the final item is.

Comma¶

Always per Latvian grammar rules.

Colon¶

Use after introducing list items, between equal parts of a sentence. Text after colon starts lowercase, unless it begins a new paragraph.

English	Latvian
Tip: Do the following	Padoms. Rīkojieties šādi. / Padoms: rīkojieties šādi.

May also separate concatenated variables from the rest of the text. No colons/periods after column headings.

Dashes and hyphens¶

• Hyphen (-) — divides syllables, links compound parts, postal codes (LV-1011).
• En dash (–) — minus sign (with spaces around mixed letter-number; without spaces in plain numbers). Number ranges (30–50 cm). In Latvian, en dash IS used for what English uses em dash for.
• Em dash (—) — only for parenthetical aside. For UI, prefer en dash (em dash takes more space).

English	Latvian
email	e-pasts
Jānis Bērziņš-Krūmiņš	Jānis Bērziņš-Krūmiņš
The broadcast name must be between 1–32 characters.	Apraides nosaukumā ir jābūt 1–32 rakstzīmēm. (non-breaking space between number and unit)

Ellipses¶

For pauses and unexpected events. No periods after menu titles or command names. Use ellipsis when the command leads to a dialog (Saglabāt kā…). Use ellipsis for in-process action (Dublē failu…).

Period¶

After ordinal numbers. Sentence-ending abbreviation doesn’t take a second period.

English	Latvian
For further information about XXX, see page 50.	+ Plašāku informāciju par XXX skatiet 50. lpp. - …50. lpp..

Don’t put period at end of check-box names unless they’re complete sentences. Always end dialog-box and error messages with a period.

Quotation marks¶

In Latvian text, don’t use double quotation marks around software references unless needed for clarity. Use for chapter/appendix/section references.

Curly upper double “xxx” for software texts; straight upper double “xx” for online content. Opening curly is different from closing curly.

Product/feature names normally NOT in quotation marks. Exception: complex syntactical structure (dative/locative cases) makes the sentence hard to parse.

English	Latvian
For customers who want an even more visual, interactive solution, Power BI for Office 365 includes Power BI sites on Power BI for Office 365.	Klientiem, kuri vēlas vairāk vizuālu un interaktīvāku risinājumu, pakalpojumā “Power BI pakalpojumam Office 365” ir iekļautas “Power BI vietnes pakalpojumā Power BI pakalpojumam Office 365”.

Parentheses¶

No space between parenthesis and inner text. Parenthetical explanations integrate into sentence — start lowercase; period AFTER closing parenthesis unless full sentence.

English	Latvian
Sentence to be explained. (Explanation.)	Paskaidrojamais teikums (paskaidrojošais teksts iekavās).

Semicolon¶

Avoid. Two short sentences are easier than one long one.

Exclamation point¶

Avoid. Use stronger words instead.

Sentence fragments¶

Help convey conversational tone. Use before bulleted lists with colon.

English	Long form	Fragment
Use the following steps.	Veiciet zemāk minētās darbības.	Rīkojieties šādi:
For more information, see the site referenced below.	Plašāku informāciju skatiet tālāk norādītajā vietnē.	Skatiet arī šeit:
stronger password required		nepieciešama stiprāka parole

Don’t omit vai at start of questions:

English	Wrong	Correct
Cancel event?	Atcelt pasākumu?	Vai atcelt pasākumu?
Continue without Undo?	Turpināt bez atsaukšanas?	Vai turpināt bez atsaukšanas?

Subjunctive¶

Avoid in UI. May use in marketing/letters.

English	Latvian
Number of characters should not exceed:	+ Rakstzīmju skaits nedrīkst pārsniegt: - Rakstzīmju skaitam nevajadzētu pārsniegt:

Symbols and non-breaking spaces¶

Standard symbols: %, +, −, ×, =, <, >, °, §, ±. No ampersand for “and”. No # for “number”.

English	Latvian
users & computers / users + computers	+ lietotāji un datori - lietotāji & datori / lietotāji + datori
# of users	+ lietotāju skaits - # lietotāji

No space between number and %. Use non-breaking space (Ctrl+Shift+Space) for: - Long dates: 2022. gada 17. februāris - Initial + surname: J. Bērziņš - Temperature: 37 ˚C - Measurement: 5 cm - Number digit grouping: 24 888 459

Syntax¶

Latvian word order: Subject + Verb + Object. Adverbs of place and time go AT THE BEGINNING or before the predicate (not at the end as in English).

Sequence of tenses¶

In time clauses and conditional (“if”) clauses, English uses present tense for future actions. In Latvian, all clauses match the main verb’s tense.

English	Wrong	Correct
As soon as I have finished, I will give you a call.	Tiklīdz es esmu pabeidzis, es jums piezvanīšu.	Tiklīdz es būšu pabeidzis, es jums piezvanīšu.
The program will open if you select the icon on your desktop.	Ja atlasāt darbvirsmā redzamo ikonu, programma tiks atvērta.	Ja atlasīsit darbvirsmā redzamo ikonu, programma tiks atvērta.

“When” vs “if”¶

English uses “when” for zero conditional (always true). Translate with “ja” (if), not “kad” (when).

Word order errors¶

English	Wrong	Correct
And this is where you go to turn off or lock your computer.	Un šeit datoru var izslēgt vai slēgt.	Šeit datoru var izslēgt vai aizslēgt.
+ {0} to store and access your documents in the cloud from anywhere.	+{0}, lai neatkarīgi no savas atrašanās vietas varētu saglabāt dokumentus un piekļūt tiem mākonī.	Pievienojiet krātuvi {0}, lai saglabātu dokumentus un piekļūtu tiem mākonī no jebkuras vietas.
Use the information on this page if you need to use POP or IMAP to connect your mailbox.	Izmantojiet informāciju šajā lapā, ja savienojuma izveidei ar savu pastkasti ir nepieciešams lietot POP vai IMAP.	Izmantojiet šajā lapā sniegto informāciju, ja savienojuma izveidei ar savu pastkasti ir jālieto POP vai IMAP.
Printers are devices that print text and graphics from your computer onto paper.	Printeri ir ierīces, kas uz papīra izdrukā tekstu un attēlus no datora.	Printeri ir ierīces, kas uz papīra izdrukā datorā redzamo tekstu un attēlus.
When you open a dialog resource that contains ActiveX control(s), you’ll get the following message box before the dialog resource is opened in Dialog Editor:	Kad atverat dialoga resursu, kas satur ActiveX vadīklas, tiks parādīts šāds ziņojuma lodziņš, pirms dialoga resurss tiek atvērts rīkā Dialogu redaktors.	Atverot dialoga resursu, kurā ir ActiveX vadīklas, pirms dialoga resursa atvēršanas rīkā Dialogu redaktors tiek parādīts šāds ziņojuma lodziņš.
Compliance High Priority Policy Processing	Atbilstības augstas prioritātes politikas apstrāde	Augstas prioritātes atbilstības politikas apstrāde
Allows this application full access to mailboxes acting as users in the organization.	Ļauj šai lietojumprogrammai pilnībā piekļūt pastkastēm, darbojoties kā organizācijas lietotājiem.	Ļauj šai lietojumprogrammai, darbojoties kā organizācijas lietotājiem, pilnībā piekļūt pastkastēm.
Give this device policy a friendly name so you can easily find it again later.	Norādiet šai ierīču politikai draudzīgu nosaukumu, lai vēlāk to varētu viegli atrast.	Piešķiriet šai ierīču politikai viegli atpazīstamu nosaukumu, lai vēlāk to varētu viegli atrast.

Unlocalized items¶

Trademarked names, font names, and product names stay in English. A few Latvian words spell similarly to English (preferences, radio, video, audio) — they’re often singularia tantum and behave differently.

Verbs¶

Latvian has three conjugations. English forms often don’t distinguish command vs. function name vs. ongoing process — determine context first.

Continuous operations expressed with English gerunds map to: - Deverbal noun with -šana suffix, OR - Imperfect verb

Use present tense (Latvian default). Avoid future tense unless describing actual future events. Don’t use perfect tense in passive voice.

English	Latvian
The product has been removed from your PC.	+ Produkts ir noņemts no datora. - Produkts ir ticis noņemts no datora.

Grammatical voice¶

Use ACTIVE voice. Passive sounds formal and removes the agent.

English	Latvian
Icons can be arranged by name in alphabetical order.	+ Ikonas var sakārtot pēc nosaukuma alfabētiskā secībā. - Ikonas var tikt sakārtotas pēc nosaukuma alfabēta secībā.
When a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) or laptop is plugged in…	+ Kad esat pievienojis personālo ciparasistentu vai klēpjdatoru… - Kad tiek pievienots personālais ciparasistents vai klēpjdators…

Use passive only to avoid wordy/awkward constructions, when action (not actor) is the focus, when subject is unknown, to avoid awkward reflexive verbs, or in error messages where active voice would seem to blame the user.

English	Latvian
The new icon appears in the upper-left corner.	+ Augšējā labajā stūrī tiek parādīta jaunā ikona. - Augšējā labajā stūrī parādās jaunā ikona.

Reflexive verbs¶

Avoid when possible, especially with inanimate objects. Use passive or other forms.

English	Latvian
For example, you can use a Chart Web Part to see sales amounts across different teams or geographical regions in a retail organization.	+ Piemēram, diagrammu tīmekļa daļu var izmantot, lai mazumtirdzniecības uzņēmumā skatītu dažādu grupu vai ģeogrāfisko reģionu pārdošanas apjomus. - …skatītos…
Automatically opens as a slide show	+ Automātiski tiek atvērts kā slaidrāde - Automātiski atveras kā slaidrāde

Product names and feature names¶

Unlocalized product names¶

Add a descriptor (modifier) before unlocalized product names in non-nominative/possessive/instrumental cases. Modifier may be omitted if a preposition makes the grammatical relationship clear.

English	Latvian
Windows encountered a problem installing the driver software for your device	Instalējot draivera programmatūru jūsu ierīcē, sistēmā Windows radās problēma
What peripheral devices work with Windows 11?	Kādas perifērijas ierīces darbojas kopā ar Windows 11?
The following shows Word 2021.	Šie attēli attiecas uz Word 2021.

Examples of product-name modifiers: - Get Genuine Windows → application - Microsoft Office → no descriptor - Microsoft Office 365 → subscription / plan / service - OneDrive → online service, also a local app - SharePoint → sharing environment, platform - Microsoft Word → application - Microsoft Access → program - Power Map → feature - Power Pivot for Excel → add-in - Skype Manager → web tool

Use context to pick the right modifier:

English	Latvian	Comment
upload to OneDrive and send a link	augšupielādēt pakalpojumā OneDrive un nosūtīt saiti	“upload” → online service
Publish on OneDrive	Publicēšana pakalpojumā OneDrive	“publish” → service
Installing OneDrive	Programmas OneDrive instalēšana	“installing” → program/app

Localized feature names¶

Translated feature names are LOWERCASE unless they start with unlocalized name, acronym, or named UI element.

English	Latvian
alerts manager	brīdinājumu pārvaldnieks
advanced search	detalizētā meklēšana
Admin Approval Mode	administratoru apstiprināšanas režīms
ACE Management View	ACE pārvaldības skats
Accounting Integration	grāmatvedības integrācija
Access Services Administration	Access pakalpojumu administrēšana

Quotation marks around localized product/feature names only in complex syntactical structures.

Error messages¶

Use consistent terminology. Don’t just translate as English appears.

In Latvian, the negative marker can come after the main verb, or the negative adjective before the verb. Pick a pattern and apply consistently.

Standard phrases (cross-reference with verb section)¶

When source uses different English forms for the same meaning, standardize in Latvian.

Keys¶

Translate key names where appropriate; keep unchanged where they match keyboard labels.

English	Latvian
Home key	Home
End key	End
Up arrow key	augšupbultiņas taustiņš
Down arrow key	lejupbultiņas taustiņš
Left arrow key	kreisās bultiņas taustiņš
Right arrow key	labās bultiņas taustiņš

Standard shortcut command translations¶

English command	Shortcut	Latvian command
Help window	F1	Palīdzības logs
Cancel	Esc	Atcelt
Display next window	Alt+Esc	Parādīt nākamo logu
Close active application window	Alt+F4	Aizvērt aktīvo lietojumprogrammas logu
File New	Ctrl+N	Jauns fails
File Open	Ctrl+O	Atvērt failu
File Close	Ctrl+F4	Aizvērt failu
File Save	Ctrl+S	Saglabāt
File Save as	F12	Saglabāt kā
File Print Preview	Ctrl+F2	Drukas priekšskatījums
File Print	Ctrl+P	Drukāt
File Exit	Alt+F4	Iziet
Edit Undo	Ctrl+Z	Atsaukt
Edit Repeat	Ctrl+Y	Atkārtot
Edit Cut	Ctrl+X	Izgriezt
Edit Copy	Ctrl+C	Kopēt
Edit Paste	Ctrl+V	Ielīmēt
Edit Select All	Ctrl+A	Atlasīt visu
Edit Find	Ctrl+F	Atrast
Edit Replace	Ctrl+H	Aizstāt
Italic	Ctrl+I	Slīpraksts
Bold	Ctrl+B	Treknraksts
Underline	Ctrl+U	Pasvītrots
Centered	Ctrl+E	Centrēts
Left aligned	Ctrl+L	Pa kreisi
Right aligned	Ctrl+R	Pa labi
Justified	Ctrl+J	Abpusēji izlīdzināts

Copilot predefined prompts¶

Translations must be accurate, consistent, concise, natural, and use the appropriate tone.

• Be clear and specific. Make Latvian prompts natural questions or requests.
• Keep it conversational. Use INFORMAL tone (second-person singular tu) when addressing COPILOT. When addressing the USER, use the FORMAL form (second-person plural jūs).
• Avoid pronouns (es, tu, mans) when the subject is irrelevant. Use gender-neutral wording; default to masculine singular.
• Be polite and professional. No slang/jargon.
• Use upper curled quotation marks (“text”) to mark what Copilot should write/modify.
• Pay attention to punctuation, grammar, capitalization.
• Entity tokens are placeholders, not localizable; their position must work in target syntax. Exception: display-text examples may have the token text translated (read Dev comment).

Source	Latvian	Comment
List ideas for a fun remote team building event	Piedāvā vairākas idejas jautram attālam komandas veidošanas pasākumam	Informal (tu) addressing Copilot; imperative
What are the goals and topics from the meeting? Format each section with a bolded heading, a bulleted list, and bolded names	Kādi ir sapulces mērķi un tēmas? Formatē katru sadaļu, izmantojot virsrakstu treknrakstā, sarakstu ar aizzīmēm un vārdiem treknrakstā
Propose a new introduction to <entity type='file'>file</entity>	Ierosini jaunu <entity type='file'>faila</entity> ievaddaļu	Entity-token text translated (display example)
What were the open issues from <entity type='meeting'>meeting</entity>?	Kādi bija <entity type='meeting'>sapulces</entity> neatrisinātie jautājumi?
Give me ideas for icebreaker activities for a new team	Piedāvā idejas jaunas komandas iesildīšanās aktivitātēm
Create a list of <placeholder>color names inspired by the ocean</placeholder>	Izveido <placeholder>okeāna iedvesmotu krāsu nosaukumu</placeholder> sarakstu
Generate 3-5 bullet points to prepare me for a meeting with Client X to discuss their “Phase 3+” brand campaign	Ģenerē 3–5 punktus ar aizzīmēm, lai es varētu sagatavoties sapulcei ar klientu X un apspriest viņu zīmola kampaņu “Phase 3+”.	Quotation marks for title

Geopolitical concerns, accessibility, trademarks¶

Geopolitical concerns¶

Localized product responds to target-country specifics. Sensitive content in maps, flags, country/city/language names, art, cultural references requires review.

Accessibility¶

Accessibility options serve people with cognitive/hearing/physical/visual disabilities. Some accessible products may not be available in Latvian-speaking markets. Verify with appropriate resources.

Applications, products, features¶

Trademarked. Rarely translated. Sometimes feature names are trademarked (IntelliSense).

Version numbers¶

Always contain a period (Version 4.2). Usually part of version strings.

Version strings (copyright)¶

Always translate. Refer to Microsoft Terminology for “All rights reserved” and “Microsoft Corporation”.

Trademarks¶

Trademarked names and “Microsoft Corporation” stay unlocalized unless local laws require translation and an approved form exists.

English pronunciation (voice / video)¶

English terms and product names left untranslated should be pronounced English way. If Latvian has established pronunciation (e.g. server), use local.

Acronyms¶

English	Latvian pronunciation (approximate)
RADIUS	rādius
RAS	ras
ISA	isa
LAN	lans
WAN	wans
WAP	waps
MAPI	mapi
POP	pops
Skype	[skaip]
URL	uerel
HTML	hatēemel
SQL	esekjuel

URLs in speech¶

Omit “http://”. Pronounce “www” as triple double-V. “dot” may be omitted or read.

Punctuation¶

? ! : ; , are implied by voice. En dash (–) for emphasis = comma pause.

Special characters¶

Pronounce / \ < > + − using Latvian translations.

Reference materials¶

Normative references — must be followed:

1. Angļu-latviešu-krievu informātikas vārdnīca — Rīga: Avots, 2001. English-Latvian-Russian IT dictionary.
2. Blinkena A. Latviešu interpunkcija — Rīga: Zvaigzne ABC, 2009. Latvian punctuation.
3. Ceplīte B., Ceplītis L. Latviešu valodas praktiskā gramatika — Rīga: Zvaigzne ABC, 1997. Latvian grammar.
4. Ceplītis L. et al. Latviešu valodas pareizrakstības un pareizrunas vārdnīca — Rīga: Avots, 1995. Orthographic dictionary.
5. Guļevska D., Miķelsone A., Porīte T. Pareizrakstības un pareizrunas rokasgrāmata — Rīga: Avots, 2002.
6. Latviešu valodas gramatika — Rīga: LU Latviešu valodas institūts, 2015.
7. Kalniņa Dz. (ed.) Angļu-latviešu, latviešu-angļu vārdnīca — Rīga: Avots, 2003.
8. Latviešu valodas vārdnīca — Rīga: Avots, 1998.
9. Veisbergs A. (ed.) Jaunā latviešu-angļu vārdnīca — Rīga: SIA “EKLV”, 2003.
10. Latvijas Nacionālais terminoloģijas portāls: termini.gov.lv — Latvian Terminology Committee-approved terms.

Informative references:

1. Baldunčiks J. (ed.) Svešvārdu vārdnīca — Rīga; Jumava, 1999.
2. Bankavs A. Saīsinājumu vārdnīca — Rīga: Avots, 2003. Abbreviations dictionary.
3. Veisbergs A. (ed.) Latviešu valoda — Rīga: LU Akadēmiskais apgāds, 2013.
4. Koluža R. Tā vai šitā? Latviešu valodas rokasgrāmata — Lielvārde: Lielvārds, 2003.
5. Liepiņa Ē. Sarežģītākie pieturzīmju lietošanas gadījumi — Lielvārde: Lielvārds, 2003.
6. Microsoft Computer Dictionary — Microsoft Press, 2002.
7. Skujiņa V. Latviešu valoda lietišķajos rakstos — Rīga: Zvaigzne, 1999.
8. Tēzaurs — Latvian explanatory dictionary: https://tezaurs.lv/.
9. Lielais pasaules atlants — Rīga: Jāņasēta, 2008.
10. Translation Handbook for the EU Legislation — vvc.gov.lv
11. State Language Centre — http://www.vvc.gov.lv/.
12. Oxford Dictionaries Latvian — https://lv.oxforddictionaries.com/

FAQ¶

What’s the modern register for Latvian translation across professional contexts?¶

Latvian is a traditional language and there’s not much room for casual register the way English allows. Aim for active, friendly, and clear. Use suggestive verb forms (varat darīt) instead of pure imperative (dariet) where possible. Break complex sentences into shorter ones, use parentheses or semicolons to lighten flow. Avoid double negatives where natural — use tas ir svarīgi instead of tas nav mazsvarīgi unless the double negative is grammatically required.

Why do Latvian translations often have wordy veikt + verbal-noun constructions?¶

Beginning translators reach for veikt instalēšanu, veikt pārbaudi, veikt kategorizēšanu because they’re trying to render English noun phrases (‘perform installation’, ‘do verification’) literally. The natural Latvian form is the simple verb: instalēt, pārbaudīt, kategorizēt / dalīt kategorijās. The veikt + verbal-noun pattern reads as bureaucratic and screams ‘translated from English’.

How should unlocalized product names be handled in Latvian’s case system?¶

Add a descriptor (modifier) in the appropriate case before the product name so the sentence stays grammatical: programma OneDrive, pakalpojums Office 365, sistēma Windows, protokols DDC/CI. The descriptor takes the case ending; the product name stays unchanged. Modifier may be omitted only when the product name is in nominative/possessive/instrumental, or when a preposition makes the grammatical relationship clear.

Which Latvian punctuation conventions differ from English?¶

Curly upper double quotation marks for software texts (“xxx”); straight upper marks (“xx”) for online content. Em dash (—) is rarely used — prefer en dash (–) or comma. Don’t start sentences with un or bet. Don’t capitalize jūs (you). No serial comma needed before un/vai. Periods after ordinal numbers (50. lpp.). Latvian uses non-breaking spaces for long dates (2022. gada 17. februāris), measurements (5 cm), and grouping digits (24 888 459).

What authoritative Latvian language references should I use?¶

Latviešu valodas gramatika (Rīga: LU Latviešu valodas institūts, 2015) for grammar. Latviešu valodas pareizrakstības un pareizrunas vārdnīca (1995) and Pareizrakstības un pareizrunas rokasgrāmata (2002) for orthography. Angļu-latviešu-krievu informātikas vārdnīca for IT terminology. termini.gov.lv for Latvian Terminology Committee-approved terms. State Language Centre at vvc.gov.lv and Tēzaurs at tezaurs.lv as online resources.

Sources¶

• Microsoft Localization Style Guide for Latvian (PDF)
• termini.gov.lv — Latvian Terminology Portal
• Latviešu valodas gramatika (2015)
• State Language Centre
• Tēzaurs.lv