This is the 189th most frequent Latvian word.
bērni
Children.
The word 'bērni' here is the subject in the nominative case, referring to a group of children engaging in an action.
Bērni spēlējas pagalmā.
The children are playing in the yard.
The word 'bērniem' here is in the dative case, indicating the indirect object of the sentence, the recipients of the action.
Es dāvināju grāmatu bērniem.
I gifted a book to the children.
The word 'bērni' here is the subject in the nominative case, specifying a particular subgroup of children.