sveiki

Sveiki is a Latvian greeting meaning "hello." It is commonly used when addressing two or more people or a mixed-gender audience, and it can function as a friendly, neutral opening in conversation or in writing.

In Latvian, greetings are inflected for person and number. The masculine singular form is Sveiks, the feminine singular form is Sveika, and the plural form used for groups is Sveiki. The form Sveiki is thus the standard greeting to a group or to several people. For more formal or polite contexts, the traditional greeting is Sveicināti, which can be translated as "greetings" or "welcome" and is often used in official or public settings.

Usage notes include that Sveiki can stand alone as a greeting, as in Sveiki!, or be part of a sentence such as Sveiki, kā jums klājas? (“Hello, how are you?”). Sveicināti is common in formal correspondence, speeches, and official events. The choice between Sveiki and Sveicināti reflects the level of formality and the number of addressees.

Etymology traces Sveiki to the Latvian root associated with greeting and well-wishing. The word is a standard element of everyday Latvian communication and appears in media, signage, and social interaction.