laba veselība
The English phrase "good health" is laba veselība in Latvian.
This phrase refers to the state of being free from illness or injury.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective laba (good) and the noun veselība (health).
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective laba must agree in gender (feminine) and case (nominative) with the noun veselība. However, if you are using the phrase in constructions such as wishing someone good health (vēlēt kādam labas veselības), the phrase changes to the genitive case: labas veselības.
Did you know?
- The root of veselība, vesels, is closely related to the English word 'whole' or 'hale' as in 'hale and hearty'.
- While 'good health' is a general state, Latvians use a specific phrase uz veselību when someone sneezes, which literally means 'to health'.
- The word veselība shares a distant linguistic root with the word vesels, which is related to the concept of being 'safe' or 'sound' in other Baltic languages.
Examples in context
- Viņam ir laba veselība.He has good health.
