A0 Expressions & Patterns 1 min read 쉬움

Saying 'Thank You' and 'Please'

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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Use 'Lūdzu' for please and 'Paldies' for thank you to navigate social interactions politely in Latvia.

  • Use 'Paldies' to express gratitude: 'Paldies par kafiju!' (Thanks for the coffee!)
  • Use 'Lūdzu' to say please: 'Vienu kafiju, lūdzu.' (One coffee, please.)
  • Use 'Lūdzu' to say you're welcome: 'Paldies!' - 'Lūdzu!' (Thanks! - You're welcome!)
Request + Lūdzu | Gratitude + Paldies | Response + Lūdzu

Usage of Politeness Markers

Function Latvian Word English Equivalent
Gratitude
Paldies
Thank you
Request
Lūdzu
Please
Response
Lūdzu
You're welcome
Emphasis
Liels paldies
Thank you very much

Meanings

These are the essential social markers for politeness. 'Paldies' is used for gratitude, while 'Lūdzu' functions as both 'please' and 'you're welcome'.

1

Gratitude

Expressing thanks

“Paldies par palīdzību.”

“Liels paldies!”

2

Requesting

Adding politeness to a request

“Lūdzu, iedodiet man ūdeni.”

“Sēdiet, lūdzu.”

3

Response

Responding to thanks

“Paldies! - Lūdzu!”

“Paldies par dāvanu! - Lūdzu, lūdzu.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Saying 'Thank You' and 'Please'
Form Structure Example
Gratitude
Paldies
Paldies par visu!
Request
Lūdzu + Verb
Lūdzu, nāciet!
Request
Verb + Lūdzu
Nāciet, lūdzu!
Response
Lūdzu
Paldies! - Lūdzu!
Emphasis
Liels + Paldies
Liels paldies!
Casual Response
Nav par ko
Paldies! - Nav par ko!

격식 수준 스펙트럼

격식체
Lūdzu, vienu kafiju.

Lūdzu, vienu kafiju. (Ordering in a cafe)

중립
Vienu kafiju, lūdzu.

Vienu kafiju, lūdzu. (Ordering in a cafe)

비격식체
Kafiju, lūdzu.

Kafiju, lūdzu. (Ordering in a cafe)

속어
Kafiju, lūdzu!

Kafiju, lūdzu! (Ordering in a cafe)

Politeness Map

Politeness

Gratitude

  • Paldies Thank you

Requests

  • Lūdzu Please

Responses

  • Lūdzu You're welcome
무료 가입하고 전체 설명 읽기

수준별 예문

1

Paldies!

Thank you!

2

Lūdzu.

Please.

3

Paldies par kafiju.

Thanks for the coffee.

4

Lūdzu, šeit ir ūdens.

Please, here is the water.

1

Liels paldies par dāvanu!

Big thanks for the gift!

2

Vienu biļeti, lūdzu.

One ticket, please.

3

Paldies! - Lūdzu!

Thanks! - You're welcome!

4

Lūdzu, apsēdieties.

Please, sit down.

1

Paldies, ka palīdzējāt man.

Thanks for helping me.

2

Lūdzu, pasakiet man, kur ir stacija.

Please, tell me where the station is.

3

Paldies par jauko vakaru.

Thanks for the nice evening.

4

Lūdzu, lūdzu, nāciet iekšā.

Please, please, come in.

1

Es vēlos pateikties par jūsu ieguldījumu, paldies.

I want to thank you for your contribution, thanks.

2

Lūdzu, pieņemiet šo nelielo dāvanu.

Please, accept this small gift.

3

Paldies, esmu ļoti pateicīgs.

Thanks, I am very grateful.

4

Lūdzu, dodiet man ziņu, kad būsiet gatavs.

Please, let me know when you are ready.

1

Paldies, ka veltījāt laiku šai sarunai.

Thanks for dedicating time to this conversation.

2

Lūdzu, esiet tik laipns un aizveriet durvis.

Please, be so kind and close the door.

3

Paldies par jūsu izpratni šajā jautājumā.

Thanks for your understanding in this matter.

4

Lūdzu, neuztraucieties par to.

Please, don't worry about it.

1

Paldies, ka uzklausījāt manu viedokli.

Thanks for listening to my opinion.

2

Lūdzu, izsakiet savus iebildumus, ja tādi ir.

Please, express your objections if there are any.

3

Paldies par jūsu nevainojamo darbu.

Thanks for your impeccable work.

4

Lūdzu, ļaujiet man paskaidrot situāciju.

Please, let me explain the situation.

혼동하기 쉬운

Saying 'Thank You' and 'Please' 대 Paldies vs. Pateicos

Learners often use 'Pateicos' because it sounds more 'advanced', but it is too formal.

Saying 'Thank You' and 'Please' 대 Lūdzu vs. Nav par ko

Learners aren't sure which to use for 'you're welcome'.

Saying 'Thank You' and 'Please' 대 Lūdzu as Please vs. You're Welcome

Learners think they are different words.

자주 하는 실수

✗

Lūdzu par kafiju

✓

Paldies par kafiju

You used 'please' instead of 'thank you'.
✗

Paldies, es gribu kafiju

✓

Kafiju, lūdzu

You used 'thanks' instead of 'please' for a request.
✗

Paldies, lūdzu

✓

Paldies - Lūdzu

Using them together as a single phrase.
✗

Paldies, es negribu

✓

Paldies, nē

Paldies is for thanks, not for declining.
✗

Paldies, es esmu laimīgs

✓

Paldies par palīdzību

Paldies needs an object or context.
✗

Lūdzu, es gribu

✓

Es gribu, lūdzu

Word order is flexible but 'lūdzu' usually follows the request.
✗

Paldies, nav paldies

✓

Paldies, nav par ko

Incorrect response to thanks.
✗

Pateicos par kafiju

✓

Paldies par kafiju

Pateicos is too formal for daily use.
✗

Lūdzu, palīdziet man, lūdzu

✓

Lūdzu, palīdziet man

Redundant usage of lūdzu.
✗

Paldies, lūdzu, paldies

✓

Paldies

Over-politeness sounds unnatural.
✗

Paldies, es novērtēju

✓

Paldies, es to novērtēju

Missing object.
✗

Lūdzu, dariet to

✓

Lūdzu, izdariet to

Aspectual nuance in request.
✗

Paldies, ka jūs nācāt

✓

Paldies, ka atnācāt

Verb choice nuance.

문장 패턴

___, lūdzu.

Paldies par ___.

Lūdzu, ___ man.

Liels paldies par ___!

Real World Usage

Ordering food constant

Kafiju, lūdzu.

Texting very common

Paldies par ziņu!

Job interview common

Paldies par iespēju.

Travel common

Biļeti, lūdzu.

Social media common

Paldies par like!

Food delivery apps common

Lūdzu, atstājiet pie durvīm.

무료 가입하고 모든 예문 보기
💡

Placement

You can put 'lūdzu' at the start or end of a sentence. Both are correct.
⚠️

Don't overdo it

Using 'lūdzu' in every single sentence can sound a bit robotic.
🎯

Tone matters

A smile when saying 'Paldies' makes it much more sincere.
💬

The 'Nav par ko' bonus

Use 'Nav par ko' to sound like a local when someone thanks you.

Smart Tips

Always end your request with 'lūdzu'.

Kafiju. → Kafiju, lūdzu.

Use 'Liels paldies' for extra sincerity.

Paldies. → Liels paldies!

Try 'Nav par ko' for a friendly vibe.

Lūdzu. → Nav par ko!

Use 'Paldies par sadarbību' at the end.

Paldies. → Paldies par sadarbību.

발음

/ˈpaldiɛs/

Paldies

Pronounced 'pal-dyehs'. Stress on the first syllable.

/ˈluːdzu/

Lūdzu

Pronounced 'loo-dzoo'. Stress on the first syllable.

Request

Kafiju, lūdzu ↗

Rising intonation at the end makes it sound like a polite question/request.

Gratitude

Paldies ↘

Falling intonation conveys sincerity.

암기하기

기억법

Think of 'Paldies' as 'Pal-Die-S' (God help) and 'Lūdzu' as 'Loo-dzu' (like 'loose' change you give someone).

시각적 연상

Imagine a gift box labeled 'Paldies' and a helping hand labeled 'Lūdzu'.

Rhyme

For thanks you say Paldies, for please you say Lūdzu, it's as easy as A-B-C, for me and for you.

Story

Jānis enters a shop. He says 'Labdien' (Hello). He asks for bread: 'Maizi, lūdzu.' The clerk gives it to him. Jānis says 'Paldies.' The clerk smiles and says 'Lūdzu.'

Word Web

PaldiesLūdzuLielsNavParKo

챌린지

Say 'Paldies' and 'Lūdzu' every time you interact with someone today, even if you are speaking English, to build the habit.

문화 노트

Latvians are generally reserved. Using 'Paldies' and 'Lūdzu' is a sign of respect and helps break the ice.

In rural areas, people might be even more appreciative of polite markers as a sign of good upbringing.

In business, these are mandatory. Not using them is seen as unprofessional.

Paldies comes from 'palīdz Dievs' (God help). Lūdzu is related to the verb 'lūgt' (to pray/ask).

대화 시작하기

“

Vai jūs varat man palīdzēt, lūdzu?

“

Lūdzu, pasakiet, cik ir pulkstenis?

“

Paldies par jauko vakaru, vai mēs varam tikties vēlreiz?

“

Lūdzu, izskaidrojiet man šo noteikumu.

일기 주제

Write about a time someone helped you. Use 'Paldies'.
Write a list of things you need to buy at the store using 'lūdzu'.
Write a thank you note to a friend for a gift.
Write a formal request to your boss for a day off.

자주 하는 실수

Incorrect

정답

Incorrect

정답

Incorrect

정답

Incorrect

정답

Sign up free to see all tips

Test Yourself

Fill in the blank with the correct word.

___ par kafiju!

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Paldies
Paldies is for thanks.
Choose the correct response to 'Paldies'. 객관식

Paldies! - ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Lūdzu
Lūdzu is the standard response.
Find the mistake. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Lūdzu par dāvanu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Paldies
Should be Paldies for thanks.
Reorder the words. Sentence Building

lūdzu / kafiju / vienu

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Vienu kafiju, lūdzu
Standard word order.
Translate to Latvian. 번역

Thanks for your help.

Answer starts with: Pal...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Paldies par palīdzību
Correct phrasing.
Match the phrase to its function. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 1-Thanks, 2-Please
Basic definitions.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: 'Šeit ir jūsu ūdens.' B: '___'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Paldies
Gratitude for service.
Is this true? True False Rule

Lūdzu changes form based on gender.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
It is an invariant particle.

Score: /8

연습 문제

8 exercises
Fill in the blank with the correct word.

___ par kafiju!

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Paldies
Paldies is for thanks.
Choose the correct response to 'Paldies'. 객관식

Paldies! - ___

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Lūdzu
Lūdzu is the standard response.
Find the mistake. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Lūdzu par dāvanu.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Paldies
Should be Paldies for thanks.
Reorder the words. Sentence Building

lūdzu / kafiju / vienu

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Vienu kafiju, lūdzu
Standard word order.
Translate to Latvian. 번역

Thanks for your help.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Paldies par palīdzību
Correct phrasing.
Match the phrase to its function. Match Pairs

Match: 1. Paldies, 2. Lūdzu

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 1-Thanks, 2-Please
Basic definitions.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: 'Šeit ir jūsu ūdens.' B: '___'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Paldies
Gratitude for service.
Is this true? True False Rule

Lūdzu changes form based on gender.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
It is an invariant particle.

Score: /8

자주 묻는 질문 (8)

It is neutral and used in all situations.

Yes, it covers please and you're welcome.

It's a more casual way to say 'you're welcome'.

Historically yes, but today it is secular.

Use 'Liels paldies'.

Yes, when handing something over.

Yes, it is considered impolite.

Yes, but 'Paldies' is the standard.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

무료 가입하고 연습하기

In Other Languages

Spanish low

Por favor / Gracias

Latvian 'lūdzu' is multifunctional.

French low

S'il vous plaît / Merci

Latvian uses one word for please/welcome.

German moderate

Bitte / Danke

German 'bitte' is slightly more common as a filler.

Japanese low

Onegaishimasu / Arigatou

Japanese has many levels of politeness.

Arabic low

Min fadlak / Shukran

Latvian 'lūdzu' is invariant.

Chinese low

Qing / Xiexie

Latvian 'lūdzu' covers 'you're welcome'.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
Formal vs Informal Greetings
Next
Basic Survival Questions

Related Grammar Rules

A0

Formal vs Informal Greetings
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