Latvia is one of the countries of the European Union that attracts tourists with its delightful medieval architecture and luxurious beaches. Many travelers, preparing for a trip to this state, are interested in what languages are used by the population for communication and whether it is necessary to study the Latvian language in order to be able to communicate with the locals.
What languages are proclaimed state in the country
Approximately 1.7 million inhabitants of Latvia use the Latvian language to communicate. According to the Law "On the State Language" adopted on December 9, 1999 by the Seimas, this is the only official language in Latvia. This legislative act entered into force on September 1, 2000. Also, Latvian has received the status of one of the official languages of the European Union.
Latvian, along with Lithuanian, belongs to the East Baltic language group, and is one of the oldest languages in Europe. Consists of three dialects:
- Livonian;
- Upper Latvian;
- Middle Latvian.
It is on the last of these dialects that the literary form of Latvian is based.
The official language of the Republic of Latvia is used in the office work of all state institutions. It is used for teaching in educational institutions of the country.
In schools for Belarusians, Russians, Lithuanians, Poles and other national minorities, education is bilingual: Latvian is studied as a second language. The purpose of this policy is to increase the level of social integration of foreigners into Latvian society.
The state language in Latvia must be studied by those who plan to obtain a permanent residence permit in the country, and then citizenship. To obtain a residence permit, you must speak Latvian at the A2 level, and in order to become a citizen of the country, you will need to increase your knowledge to the B1 level. The candidate will have to pass an exam, at the end of which he will receive a certificate confirming his competence.
Regarding employment, it should be said that not all companies require a document from applicants indicating the level of their knowledge of Latvian. If we are talking about working in government agencies, then, of course, you will need it. But those who have Latvian citizenship have the right to occupy such positions.
If you plan to be employed in an international class company, you will need to learn English.
In general, 4.5 thousand specialties have been approved at the state level in Latvia, for which knowledge of the official language is mandatory. For example:
- for janitors, maids, assistant cooks, level A1 (the lowest basic) will be enough;
- couriers, telecom operators - level A2 (higher basic);
- sellers, designers, governesses - B1 level (first secondary);
- technologists, chefs - B2 level (second secondary);
- municipal and civil servants - C1 and C2 levels (higher).
Despite this, in the territory of Latvia, it is not practiced in enterprises and institutions to regularly monitor how well their personnel know the national language. Representatives of the State Language Center will conduct a check in a certain company only if they receive a complaint about a specific employee who could not explain himself to the client in Latvian.
What other languages are spoken in the Republic of Latvia
About 150 thousand people consider the Latgalian dialect their native language. It is most popular in Latgale, Selija, Vidzeme, Riga. In the Law "On the State Language", which was discussed above, it is said that the development of Latgalian as one of the historical subspecies of the Latvian language is guaranteed by the state.
Answering the question about what languages are spoken in Latvia, it should be noted that Latgalian is prohibited to use in the office work of state institutions and courts. This provision was officially confirmed by the decision of the Senate of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Latvia, adopted in 2009.
One of the practically extinct dialects previously used by the population of this country is Livonian. Nowadays it is extremely rare to hear this language of communication in Latvia. Semigallian, Curonian and Selonian dialects belong to the category of completely extinct. At this stage, they are the subject of research by researchers.
The prevalence and status of the Russian language in the territory of the Republic of Latvia
Russian in terms of popularity in Latvia ranks second. According to the data of the last general population census conducted in the state in 2021, 37.2% of citizens called it their native language and indicated that they use it in everyday life. In general, about 70-80% of the local population understands Russian well. Thus, the answer to the question of whether Russian is spoken in Latvia is yes.
A number of historical circumstances contributed to this:
- The stay of the lands, which are now part of the Republic of Latvia, as part of Kievan Rus.
- Mass migration of the Russian-speaking population to Latvia during the First World War.
- The forcible import of Russians into this country by the Nazis during 1943-1944.
- The stay of Latvia in the USSR and the influx of Russian-speaking labor into this republic, which led to significant changes in the linguistic composition of the population.
That is why not only migrants from the Russian Federation speak Russian in Latvia today. The indigenous people, especially the older generation, understand him well.
That is why travelers from Russia planning a short-term trip to Riga, Jurmala or other tourist centers do not have to learn Latvian in order to find a common language with the local population. In resort towns in hotels, shops, bars, cafes, restaurants, there is a compulsory Russian-speaking staff. Thus, there is no need to worry about whether they speak Russian in Riga.
Nevertheless, Russian in the republic has the status of a foreign language. In this regard, it will not be possible to obtain any information in Russian either in municipal or state institutions, or in the courts. All data will be provided exclusively in Latvian within the framework of the law.
Concise Russian-Latvian phrasebook
The basis of modern Latvian writing is the letters of the Latin alphabet with the use of diacritical symbols. Russian writing is Cyrillic.
Latvian grammar is somewhat simplified. For example, there is no instrumental case characteristic of Russian, so in general there are not seven, but six. Instead of the prepositional case, the local one is used, while the preposition is not used. In the Latvian language there is no dual number and neuter gender, case control in the plural. The word order in sentences is free.
Below is a short phrasebook for tourists, which includes some frequently used phrases:
No - Ne
Yes I
Hello! - Labden! / Sveiki!
Hey! - Chow!
Good morning! - Labriite!
Good day! - Labdien!
Good evening! - Labwakar!
Bye! - Ataa!
Goodbye! - Uzredzeshanos!
Thanks! - Paldies!
Please! - Luudzu!
What is your name? - Kaa Yuyus sauts?
My name ... - Mani sauts ...
Where do you live? - Kur tu dziivo?
Where is the nearest hotel? - Kur shayt tuvumaa ir viesnitsa?
I would like to order a room. - Es velos pazuti.
What is the price of this? - Tsik tas maksaa?
You speak English? - Tu rune anglu valoda?
Outcome
The state language in the Republic of Latvia is one - Latvian. Owning it is a prerequisite for obtaining a residence permit, citizenship and employment in many specialties.When answering the question of what language is spoken in Latvia, one should not forget about Russian, which, although it is foreign, is understandable to most local residents.
