First-conjugation verbs are short — usually a one-syllable root with the infinitive -t added straight to the root, e.g. nest (to carry), celt (to lift), dot (to give). It is the smallest group but contains many everyday verbs.
The present and past stems often change a consonant or vowel, so each verb is best learned individually. Compare celt — es ceļu (present) — es cēlu (past).
Present tense
| Person | nest | celt |
|---|---|---|
| es | nesu | ceļu |
| tu | nes | cel |
| viņš/viņa | nes | ceļ |
| mēs | nesam | ceļam |
| jūs | nesat | ceļat |
| viņi/viņas | nes | ceļ |
Past tense
| Person | nest | celt |
|---|---|---|
| es | nesu | cēlu |
| tu | nesi | cēli |
| viņš/viņa | nesa | cēla |
| mēs | nesām | cēlām |
| jūs | nesāt | cēlāt |
| viņi/viņas | nesa | cēla |
Future tense
| Person | nest |
|---|---|
| es | nesīšu |
| tu | nesīsi |
| viņš/viņa | nesīs |
| mēs | nesīsim |
| jūs | nesīsiet |
| viņi/viņas | nesīs |
Because the root ends in a consonant, a linking -ī- appears before the future -š-/-s-: nest → nesīšu, nesīsi, nesīs.
A few very common verbs are irregular. iet (to go) uses different stems across tenses: present eju, ej, iet; past gāju; future iešu.
Common verbs
nest
to carry
celt
to lift
dot
to give
iet
to go
ņemt
to take
likt
to put