Bedeutung
Wishing someone a pleasant evening.
Kultureller Hintergrund
Latvians are known for being reserved. A phrase like 'Ar labu vakaru!' is the perfect amount of social lubricant—it's polite but doesn't require a long conversation. In Eastern Latvia, the local language (Latgalian) changes the vowels. You will hear 'Ar lobu vokoru!' which is a sign of local identity. In Latvian business, ending an evening email with 'Ar labu vakaru vēlot, [Vārds]' is considered very professional and elegant. In rural areas, this wish might be followed by 'Lai mierīga palikšana!' (May your staying be peaceful) if the speaker is leaving and the other is staying home.
The 'Jums arī' rule
Always respond with 'Jums arī!' (to you too) if someone says it to you first. It's the height of Latvian politeness.
Don't use it too early
If you say this at 2 PM, Latvians will look at their watches confused. Wait until at least 5 PM.
Bedeutung
Wishing someone a pleasant evening.
The 'Jums arī' rule
Always respond with 'Jums arī!' (to you too) if someone says it to you first. It's the height of Latvian politeness.
Don't use it too early
If you say this at 2 PM, Latvians will look at their watches confused. Wait until at least 5 PM.
Eye Contact
When saying 'Ar labu vakaru!', a brief moment of eye contact and a small nod makes it feel much more sincere.
Teste dich selbst
You are leaving a restaurant at 8:00 PM. What do you say to the waiter?
Izvēlieties pareizo frāzi:
Since you are leaving in the evening, 'Ar labu vakaru!' is the correct parting wish.
Fill in the missing word to complete the evening parting.
Ar ____ vakaru!
The preposition 'ar' requires the instrumental case, which for the adjective 'labs' is 'labu'.
Match the phrase to the correct situation.
1. Labvakar! 2. Ar labu vakaru!
Labvakar is for arriving; Ar labu vakaru is for departing.
Complete the dialogue between two colleagues.
A: Es dodos mājās. Uz redzēšanos! B: Atā! ____ arī ar labu vakaru!
The response 'Tev arī' (To you also) uses the dative case for the person receiving the wish.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Latvian Time-Based Partings
Morning
- • Jauku rītu!
Day
- • Jauku dienu!
Evening
- • Ar labu vakaru!
Night
- • Ar labu nakti!
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenIzvēlieties pareizo frāzi:
Since you are leaving in the evening, 'Ar labu vakaru!' is the correct parting wish.
Ar ____ vakaru!
The preposition 'ar' requires the instrumental case, which for the adjective 'labs' is 'labu'.
1. Labvakar! 2. Ar labu vakaru!
Labvakar is for arriving; Ar labu vakaru is for departing.
A: Es dodos mājās. Uz redzēšanos! B: Atā! ____ arī ar labu vakaru!
The response 'Tev arī' (To you also) uses the dative case for the person receiving the wish.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenYes, it's common in informal speech, but 'Ar labu vakaru' sounds more complete and polite.
Absolutely. It is completely gender-neutral and safe for everyone.
In Latvia, if it's dark, it's 'vakars'. You can definitely use it then!
Yes, it's a very common way to end a professional email sent in the late afternoon.
Because the word 'ar' (with) forces the noun into the instrumental case.
The phrase remains the same: 'Ar labu vakaru!' It works for one person or a hundred.
Neither is 'better', but 'Jauku vakaru' (Have a lovely evening) is slightly more modern and common in cafes.
The most common response is 'Paldies, Jums arī!' (Thanks, to you too!).
Yes, it is perfectly appropriate for a professional relationship.
No, 'vakars' is evening (roughly 5 PM to 10 PM). 'Nakts' is night.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Ar labu nakti!
similarGood night!
Jauku vakaru!
synonymHave a lovely evening!
Labvakar!
contrastGood evening (Hello)
Lai veicas!
builds onGood luck / May it go well!
