Порядок слів

The neutral order of a Latvian sentence is subject, verb, object (SVO), just as in English:

Anna lasa grāmatu. - Anna is reading a book. Kaķis guļ uz dīvāna. - The cat is sleeping on the sofa.

The difference is that Latvian can move words around more freely, because the case endings, not the position, show who does what. Grāmatu lasa Anna still means that Anna reads the book; the -u on grāmatu marks it as the object.

Why move words? New information goes last

Latvian tends to put what is new or important at the end of the sentence and what is already known at the start:

Latvian	Emphasis
Anna lasa grāmatu.	neutral: what Anna is doing
Grāmatu lasa Anna.	it is Anna who is reading the book
Rīgā dzīvo mans brālis.	who lives in Riga: my brother
Mans brālis dzīvo Rīgā.	where my brother lives: in Riga

English uses stress or "it is ... who" for this; Latvian often just changes the order.

Time and place

Time expressions like to come first or right after the subject: Šodien es strādāju mājās or Es šodien strādāju mājās - Today I'm working from home. Place often closes the sentence: Vasarā mēs atpūšamies pie jūras - In summer we relax by the sea.

"There is" sentences

To introduce something new, Latvian often starts with the place and puts the subject after the verb: Parkā ir strūklaka - There's a fountain in the park. Uz galda stāv vāze - There's a vase on the table.

Things that do not move freely

• Adjectives and possessives stay before their noun: mans jaunais dzīvoklis (my new flat).
• Prepositions stay before their noun: uz veikalu.
• Questions keep statement order after vai or the question word: Vai tu nāksi?

As a learner, use SVO and you will be understood. Then listen for the reordered versions; they are how Latvians shift the focus.