Foto: BB.LV / пешеходы на улице
The author of the publication claims that for everyday conversation in Latvian, only 200 words are needed, and asks why people who have lived in Latvia for a long time or even since birth still do not use the Latvian language. She writes that she learned about this threshold of 200 words from a teacher who teaches Latvian to foreigners, and since then she has been questioning — if the necessary vocabulary is indeed so small, why couldn't anyone who came to live in Latvia master it in a year? In the comments, the discussion quickly became heated. Several people believed that the main problem is not a lack of ability, but a reluctance to learn. One commenter succinctly formulated her opinion — the key word here is "doesn't want." Another commenter compared the situation to that of Ukrainian civilians, pointing out that some of them learn Latvian to a level sufficient to work in customer service in a relatively short time, whereas there are people in Latvia who have lived here for decades but still speak very little Latvian. However, there were also objections to the very assumption of 200 words. Commenters pointed out that merely memorizing words is not enough — it is necessary to understand cases, grammar, sentence structure, and, most importantly, to be able to comprehend what the interlocutor is saying. In Latvian, the same word in different cases can look and sound different, so a simply memorized list of words does not equate to the ability to converse. One commenter ironically asked where this list of "200 words" could be found because they would like to use it to teach their child Latvian. Others pointed out that the problem has both historical and social backgrounds. In parts of Latvia, especially in areas where there has long been a large Russian-speaking community, a person might have managed with just the Russian language in everyday life, thus reducing the motivation and necessity to use Latvian. Conversely, other commenters criticized Latvians for their habit of automatically switching to Russian as soon as the interlocutor struggles with Latvian. The discussion also included opposing views — that blame cannot be placed solely on one group of society and that learning a language is more complex than simply "wanting or not wanting." LA.LV asked specialists from the State Language Center to clarify — is 200 words really enough for a person to converse normally in Latvian? ## ## 200 words — not fluent conversation, but a minimum for survival The answer is quite clear — 200 words are insufficient for fluent conversation in Latvian. With such a vocabulary, a person could manage in elementary situations, for example, while traveling — greeting, asking for directions, saying they want to eat, or that they need something. This minimum would include the most commonly used pronouns, basic verbs such as "to eat," "to go," and "to need," simple adjectives, and phrases for introductions. However, the vocabulary of everyday communication is much broader — it encompasses about 4000–5000 words, although a few thousand can suffice in everyday situations. For the A1 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, about 500 actively used words and another 500–700 words in passive vocabulary are estimated. Thus, the claim made on social media about 200 words is overly simplified — they can be a starting point for communication, but not for fluent conversation. ## ## “Siļķe,” “šķērsot,” and “šaursliežu” — words that can trip up the tongue The pronunciation of the Latvian language is also not uniformly easy for everyone. Experts point out that difficulties often arise with words that have several consonants in a row, such as "siļķe," "šķērsot," and "šķirne," as well as longer words like "cielaviņa" and "šaursliežu." Moreover, much depends on a person's native language. For speakers of Slavic languages, Latvian diphthongs may pose challenges, while speakers of other languages may struggle with the pronunciation of the letter "r" or hard consonants. This means that the same vocabulary of the Latvian language can be mastered at very different paces by different people. ## ## How much time is actually needed to learn the Latvian language? And there is no single answer to this question. Mastering one level of language proficiency typically requires about 100–160 hours of study, but many factors influence the outcome — a person's age, previous experience learning other languages, the intensity of classes, their native language, and how often Latvian is used outside of study. The last factor can be particularly important. A person may attend language courses, but if they continue to communicate only in another language at work, home, in stores, and among friends, practical conversational skills develop much more slowly. Is it true that there are indeed a large number of people in Latvia who do not know the Latvian language at all? Data from language studies show a more complex picture. In 1989, only about 23% of residents of Latvia for whom Latvian was not their native language spoke it at least at some level, while in the last 5–10 years, more than 90% of this group of society, excluding those with very minimal basic knowledge, have at least some proficiency in Latvian. The difference between generations is particularly noticeable. In a language survey conducted in 2026, 60.7% of respondents aged 18 to 34, for whom Latvian is not their native language, rated their knowledge as good or very good. Among those aged 35 to 44, 56.7% responded similarly, while in the group aged 65 to 75, the figure was 29.4%. Thus, knowledge of the Latvian language is growing significantly faster among younger generations. However, another important nuance emerges here — knowing the language and using it in everyday life are not the same. Experts point out that even a person with good knowledge of the Latvian language may choose to use another language in everyday life if that language is the habitual means of communication in their family, at work, or among friends. The use of the language is influenced by the place of residence, social environment, and established communication habits.
