Phrasebook

en Big – small   »   lv liels – mazs

68 [sixty-eight]

Big – small

Big – small

68 [sešdesmit astoņi]

liels – mazs

Choose how you want to see the translation:   
English (UK) Latvian Play More
big and small l-e-s-un -azs l____ u_ m___ l-e-s u- m-z- ------------- liels un mazs 0
The elephant is big. Zi-on-s -r l---s. Z______ i_ l_____ Z-l-n-s i- l-e-s- ----------------- Zilonis ir liels. 0
The mouse is small. P-l---r-----. P___ i_ m____ P-l- i- m-z-. ------------- Pele ir maza. 0
dark and bright tum---u- g-i-s t____ u_ g____ t-m-s u- g-i-s -------------- tumšs un gaišs 0
The night is dark. N--t- -- t--š-. N____ i_ t_____ N-k-s i- t-m-a- --------------- Nakts ir tumša. 0
The day is bright. Diena-i- -ai-a. D____ i_ g_____ D-e-a i- g-i-a- --------------- Diena ir gaiša. 0
old and young v-cs--- j-u-s v___ u_ j____ v-c- u- j-u-s ------------- vecs un jauns 0
Our grandfather is very old. Mū-u ------s--r -o-- vec-. M___ v______ i_ ļ___ v____ M-s- v-c-ē-s i- ļ-t- v-c-. -------------------------- Mūsu vectēvs ir ļoti vecs. 0
70 years ago he was still young. P-rms--0 ga-------ņš ----bi-a----ns. P____ 7_ g_____ v___ v__ b___ j_____ P-r-s 7- g-d-e- v-ņ- v-l b-j- j-u-s- ------------------------------------ Pirms 70 gadiem viņš vēl bija jauns. 0
beautiful and ugly s-ai----un ne-l--s s______ u_ n______ s-a-s-s u- n-g-ī-s ------------------ skaists un neglīts 0
The butterfly is beautiful. Tau-eni- -r s--i--s. T_______ i_ s_______ T-u-e-i- i- s-a-s-s- -------------------- Taurenis ir skaists. 0
The spider is ugly. Zi-nek--- i--neg---s. Z________ i_ n_______ Z-r-e-l-s i- n-g-ī-s- --------------------- Zirneklis ir neglīts. 0
fat and thin r--n- -- -i--s r____ u_ t____ r-s-s u- t-e-s -------------- resns un tievs 0
A woman who weighs a hundred kilos is fat. 100--i--g---us s-a------v--te-----e-n-. 1__ k_________ s____ s_______ i_ r_____ 1-0 k-l-g-a-u- s-a-a s-e-i-t- i- r-s-a- --------------------------------------- 100 kilogramus smaga sieviete ir resna. 0
A man who weighs fifty kilos is thin. 50---logr-m-s-s-ags ---ie-is i---i---. 5_ k_________ s____ v_______ i_ t_____ 5- k-l-g-a-u- s-a-s v-r-e-i- i- t-e-s- -------------------------------------- 50 kilogramus smags vīrietis ir tievs. 0
expensive and cheap d---- u- lē-s d____ u_ l___ d-r-s u- l-t- ------------- dārgs un lēts 0
The car is expensive. Ma-ī---i---ārga. M_____ i_ d_____ M-š-n- i- d-r-a- ---------------- Mašīna ir dārga. 0
The newspaper is cheap. A-ī-e i- -ē-a. A____ i_ l____ A-ī-e i- l-t-. -------------- Avīze ir lēta. 0

Download MP3 (.zip files)

MP3 English (UK) + Latvian (1-100) MP3 Latvian (1-100)

Code-switching

More and more people are growing up bilingual. They can speak more than one language. Many of these people often switch languages. They decide which language to use depending on the situation. For example, they speak a different language at work than at home. By doing so, they adapt themselves to their environment. But there is also the possibility of switching languages spontaneously. This phenomenon is called code-switching . In code-switching, the language gets switched in the middle of speaking. There could be many reasons why speakers switch languages. Often, they don't find the appropriate word in one language. They can express themselves better in the other language. It can also be that the speaker feels more confident in one of the languages. They use this language for private or personal things. Sometimes a certain word doesn't exist in a language. In this case the speaker must switch languages. Or they switch languages so that they aren't understood. In that case code-switching works like a secret language. Earlier, mixing languages was criticized. It was thought that the speaker couldn't speak either language correctly. Today it is viewed differently. Code-switching is recognized as a special linguistic competence. It can be interesting to observe speakers using code-switching. Often, they don't just switch the language they're speaking. Other communicative elements change as well. Many speak faster, louder or more accentuated in the other language. Or they suddenly use more gestures and facial expressions. In this way, code-switching is always a little bit of culture-switching too…