sveiks
[svɛ̀jks]masculine
The Latvian word for 'hi' is sveiks. Wiktionary also lists sveika and sveiki.
Meaning: friendly, informal greeting (intj)
Ways to say it
| Latvian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| sveiks | [svɛ̀jks] (narrow) | masculine |
| sveika | feminine | |
| sveiki | /sveiki/ | masculine, plural |
The term is a friendly, informal greeting.
What does it mean word for word?
The greeting is derived from an adjective meaning 'healthy', 'whole' or 'sound'.
Which one should you use?
The choice of form depends on whom you are addressing: sveiks is the masculine form, while sveika is the feminine form. The plural form, sveiki, is used for a group of people. However, sveiki is also frequently used as a gender-neutral way to say 'hi' to a single person in many informal contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use the masculine form sveiks when greeting a single male. Use the feminine form sveika when greeting a single female. Use the plural form sveiki when greeting more than one person or a group of people.
Did you know?
- Another theory proposes that sveiks is derived from roots meaning 'good' and 'to go', effectively greeting someone as 'one who walks well'.
Examples in context
- Sveiks! Vai tu šeit strādā?Hi! Do you work here?This sentence shows how to use sveiks to start a question about someone's workplace.Tatoeba #13814439 by GemMonkey, translation #54608 by Zifre
- Sveiki! Paldies, ka lidojat kopā ar mums. Kā jums šodien klājas?Hi! Thanks for flying with us. How are you today?This sentence demonstrates using sveiki to greet people in a service context.Tatoeba #8217510 by User77812, translation #54597 by Zifre
- Sveiki, mani sauc Pekka. Kā tevi sauc?Hi, my name is Pekka. What is your name?This sentence shows how to use sveiki when introducing yourself.Tatoeba #2197046 by porfiriy, translation #1014525 by CN
- Sveiki! Es esmu Anna. Prieks jūs iepazīt.Hello! I am Anna. Nice to meet you.
- Labdien! Kā jums klājas?Good day! How are you?
- Čau! Kā tev klājas?Hey! How are you?
- Sveiks! Gribi uz kafejnīcu?Hi! Do you want to go to a café?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zane and Māris meet at a cafe.
- ZaneSveiks, Māri! Kā iet?Hi, Māris! How is it going?
- MārisSveika, Zane! Viss lieliski.Hi, Zane! Everything is great.
- ZaneTūlīt sēdēsim kopā.We will sit together soon.
- MārisLieliski, es gaidīšu.Great, I will wait.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries sveiks, sveika, sveiki, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sveiks, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
