te

te šur, te tur


bet

From Proto-Baltic *bet, from Proto-Indo-European *be, *bʰe (“outside, without”) (whence also the Latvian preposition bez), to which an old particle -t was added, visible also in the Latvian particle it and the adverb šeit (“here”). Cognates include Lithuanian bèt, Sudovian bat.

istaba bija maza, bet mājīga

komandiera īsais, bet atlētiskais augums veidoja neskaidru siluetu

the commander's short but athletic body (lit. size) made an unclear, vague silhouette

adversative conjunction, used to express contrast or opposition; but

stiprs un izturīgs, bet tomēr tāds kā paviegls, likās, visvairāk tikai aiz lielības Martiņš te skrēja

strong and enduring, yet somewhat light; it seemed that Martiņš was running there rather because of posturing (= to be able to boast about it)

(with tomēr) expressing contrast, opposition with a nuance of concession; yet, but still

tur nestāvēja rakstāmgaldi, bet gan parasti virtuves galdi ar vienu atvilktni

the desks weren't there, but instead simple kitchen tables with (only) one drawer

Šellija Prometejs neienīst savu mocītāju Jupiteru, bet gan sirsnīgi nožēlo

Shelley's Prometheus does not hate his tormentor Jupiter, but instead sincerely regrets (what he did)

(with gan) expressing strong contrast, opposition; but, but instead

atnāca Jānis, bet nevis Pēteris

etiķim jābūt dzidram, skābam, bet ne asam, kodīgam

vinegar must be clear, acid, but not sharp, harsh (= ‘biting’)

(with ne, nevis) expressing strong contrast, opposition; but not

tas, kas neredzams sēž uz soliņa man līdzās, nav Roberts, bet Harijs

the one sitting invisibly on the bench near me is not Roberts, but Harijs

vīnu apkārt dodama, viņa nenolaida acu, bet skatījās katram taisni sējā

(while) giving wine around, she did not lower her eyes, but (instead) looked straight in the face of every one (of them)

ne atpakaļ, bet uz priekšu iet mūsu dzīves gaita!

not backward, but forward our life's pace goes!

automobilis brauca nevis pa lielceļu, bet taisni pa meža ceļu

the car did not go on the highway, but straight along the forest road

(with a preceding negative clause) (expressing strong contrast, opposition)

Sīmanis gan mantu novēlēja, bet mir nenomira

Sīmanis did indeed want the property, but die, he didn't (= he did not go as far as dying for it)

rokas gan pieķēris ratu malai, bet neparko nevarēja attrāpīt ass galu

(his) hands did (manage to) catch the edge of the wheel, but couldn't reach the end of the axle

(with gan in the preceding sentence) expressing opposition to the preceding event, which did not achieve its goal, was frustrated (indeed) ... but

lietus beidzot pārgājis, bet saules nav

the rain has finally passed, but there is no sun

meitenes bārienu gaida, bet štāba priekšnieks smaida...

the girls were expecting a scolding, but the chief of staff smiled...

Jānis Bruzils juta, ka viena acs tam pamazām aiztūkst un apmiglo kā ar sarkanu miglu, bet toties otra kļūst arvien skaidrāka

Jānis Bruzils felt that one eye was slowly swelling and becoming covered with a red mist, but in contrast the other was becoming clearer and clearer

used to express an inconsistency or contradiction between two clauses, or a frustrated expectation

Līzei bija bezgala žēl izmocītās jaunās sievas. Bet nu bija jāiet iekšā un jārunājas ar citiem

Līze was infinitely sorry for the exhausted young woman. But she had to go in and talk to others.

pēc svētkiem Kārlēns aizgāja un solījās pārnākt atkal rudenī. Bet nepārnāca ne rudenī, ne pavasarī...

after the festivities Kārlēns went (away), promising to stay there again next fall. But he didn't come neither next fall, nor next spring...

used to connect a sentence to the preceding context, indicating an inconsistency or contradiction, or a frustrated expectation; But...

lai kāds dzērājs Vanags, bet ataugu viņš taupīja, ragavām ilksi, pat to viņš neļāva nocirst savā mežā

that Vanags may be a drunkard, but he conserved the (new) forest growth, sleigh lumber (= wood for making sleighs), he didn't let it be cut in his forest

used to connect a subordinate clause indicating concession to a main clause; but

riekstu eļļa noder ne vien uzturam, bet arī parfimērijas un laku pagatavošanai

hazelnut oil is useful not only for consumption, but also for perfume and varnish producers

Nikolajs Sņegovs bija ļoti aizrāvies ne tikai ar matemātiku, bet arī ar seno laiku vēsturi

Nikolajs Sņegovs was very fascinated not only by mathematics, but also by ancient history

(in combinations like ne vien ..., bet arī, ne tikai ..., bet arī, ne tikvien ..., bet arī) used to coordinate clause elements; not only ..., but also

bet tad nosēts linu lauks, bez vienas svītrinas, kā ar palagu noklāts!

but then the flax field was (fully) strewn, as if covered with a blanket

bet tad ir gan milzenis akmens!

(with tad) used to strengthen emotionally the idea expressed in a sentence as opposed to some expectation but...!, but then...!

šim pasākumam ir savs “bet”

this undertaking has its own but (= there is an obstacle to it)

tas jau slikti nebūtu, sieviņ, bet ir viens bet

that wouldn't be bad, wifey, but there is one “but”...

(used as a noun) obstacle, hindrance, “but”


ir

From Proto-Baltic *ir, from the reduced grade *h₂r̥ of Proto-Indo-European *h₂er- (“so, then; question particle”) (whence also Latvian ar (“with”); see there for more). The original meaning “and” (compare Lithuanian cognate) is found in 16th- and 17th-century texts, but from the 18th century on ir was no longer used in this sense. Cognates include Lithuanian ir̃ (“and”), Old Prussian ir (“also”), er (“(along) with”), Ancient Greek ἄρα, ἄρ', ῥά (ára, ár', rhá, “so, then, therefore”).

cog

ἄρα, ἄρ', ῥά

gribējas ir smieties, ir raudāt

nāca ir jaunie, ir vecie

tolaik ir tēvs, ir māte bija miruši

at that time, both the father and the mother had died

tā bija droša, interesanta un glīta meitene, kas prata būt ir jautra, ir nopietna

that was a brave, fun (lit. interesting) and pretty girl, who knew how to be both cheerful and serious

nakts kā jau nakts: ir mēness spīd, ir tālē rūsa plaiksnī

the night is like the night (= as usual): the moon shines and also in the distance silent lightning flashes

additive conjunction used to join several similar sentence elements, indicating their similar nature: both ... and ..., ... and also ..., ... as well as ...


un

Borrowed from Middle Low German un (“and”). It replaced, in this sense, the particle ir (compare Lithuanian ir, which still has the sense of “and”). Variants were und, unde and ind, in (these latter may have been influenced by ir, but ind also existed in Middle Low German). From the 18th century on, the form un gradually became dominant.

Didzis un Ilga apstājās

tas ir skaists un dārgs

tēvs strādā un domā

additive conjunction used to link similar terms in a clause; and

Lupatu Zeta smējās tik sirsnīgi, ka asaras sakāpa acīs un pat Lupats pieliecās klausīties

Lupatu Zeta laughed so heartily that tears filled her eyes and even Lupats leaned forward to listen

pie tēva vīri atnāk uz runāšanu... Annelei patīk skatīties, kādi tie vīri un kā viņi runā

(some) men came to father to talk... Annele liked to look what those men looked like and how they spoke

used to link clauses within a sentence; and

uzlec saule, un sākas jauna diena

Annele papurināja smiedamās galvu, un visi lakati bija atkal nost

Annele shook her head, laughing, and all scarves were (= fell) off once more

Ansis bija noliesējis gluži dzeltenīgs, nomocījis, un tomēr viņa acīs bija arī līksmība

Ansis had lost weight, grown rather yellow, (he looked) run down, and yet in his eyes there was also joy

pavasarī viņam palika pieci gadi, un tas jau bija diezgan cienījams vecums

in spring he became five years (old), and that was already quite a respectable age

used to link two independent clauses, indicating simultaneity, sequence, contrast, opposition, or comparison between them; and

mātei varēja stāstīt visu... vai tiešām visu? un Ģirts atskārta, ka pēdējā laikā noticis daudz kas tāds, par ko viņš tomēr nestāstīs mātei...

mother might tell everything... really everything? and Ģirts realized that recently many things had happened that he wouldn't tell mother...

atceries, cik Latvijā šis vārds skanēja noslēpumaini un vilinoši: Kalifornija! un tagad ļoti labvēlīgs liktenis tevi iespēlējis tieši teiksmainajā Kalifornijā

remember how in Latvia this word sounds mysterious and tempting: California! and now a very favorable fate has brought you to legendary California

used to introduce an independent clause, linking it to the preceding context


ne

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *ne, from Proto-Indo-European *ne.

ne tikai

ne visai


lai

Traditionally, lai is derived from the imperative form of the verb laist (“to allow, to permit”) (quod vide): laid → lai, an evolution reminiscent of Russian пускай (puskaj), пусть (pustʹ, “let, so be”) from пускать (puskatʹ, “to allow, to permit”). The form laid is indeed attested as a conjunction in the earliest sources. This view, however, has been recently criticized on the basis that Latvian lai, Lithuanian laĩ are clearly related to Old Prussian -lai, which is added to (usually infinitive) verbs to indicate volitive or conditional mood. This suggests a Proto-Baltic form *lai, probably related to the final -le of Latvian reinforcing particles jele ~ jel, nule, and (dialectal) nele, and to Old Prussian -le, apparently a variant of -lai. This *le would then have the same origin as Proto-Slavic *li (compare Polish li (“only”) Russian ли (li)), with cognates in other languages (Albanian, Tocharian) from a basic Proto-Indo-European *l-. After this criticism, the relationship between lai and laist has become unclear. Maybe Proto-Indo-European *l- was an old verb, or maybe laist was derived from an older particle.

lai varētu labāk pārredzēt apkārtni, bija jāuzkāpj tornī

in order to be able to see the surroundings better, it was necessary to climb the tower

kad viņa, laimīgi smiedamās, pacēla savu glāzi, lai saskandinātu ar viesiem, es noraudzījos ar klusu skaudību

when she, laughing happily, lifted her glass, in order to clink glasses with the visitors, I watched with quiet envy

gājējiem jāraugās, lai dēļa vaļējais gals neiesistu pa pieri

the passers-by must be careful, so that the free end of the log does not hit them on the forehead

apģērbam un apaviem jābūt ērtiem, lai tie netraucētu kustības

clothes and shoes must be comfortable, so that they don't disturb (one's) movement

kafiju nedrīkst vārīt, lai tā nezaudētu aromātu

coffee should not be boiled, so that it doesn't lose its aroma

es mācos tikai tāpēc, lai labāk noderētu lielajā cīņā

I learn only so that I can serve better in the great fight

studēt es gribu tikai tādēļ, lai pati vairāk zinātu un lai iegūtās zināšanas varētu atdot citiem

I want to study only so that I will know more and so that the knowledge gained can be given to others

with the conditional, indicating purpose, sometimes cause; sometimes correlating with tāpēc, tādēļ in the main clause; so that, in order to, in order that

lai cīņas būs grūtas, mēs uzvarēsim

though the fight will be difficult, we will win

un, lai ļaudis sacījuši ko sacīdami, jaunā sieva katru sliktu vārdu atvairījusi

and, although the people said what(ever) they wanted, the young wife deflected every bad word

pēc teātra Vilis Virpuls palika uz deju, lai gan nekad nedejoja

after the theater Vilis Virpuls stayed at the dance, even though he never danced

viņš atbrauca ātri, lai gan ceļš bija slikts

he came quickly, although the road was bad

lai arī dārzs ir mazliet nolaists, tas tomēr ir skaists

although the garden is a little neglected, it still is beautiful

indicating concession, especially in the combinations lai gan, lai arī; though, although, even though

viņa bija viņam iedvesusi ticību, ka viņš skatīs sauli, lai arī cik grūti būtu pašreiz

she had inspired in him the belief that he would look at the sun, no matter how difficult this would be now

mēs visi būsim kopā, lai kā mums kuram ies

we will all be together, no matter how it goes for us

lai vai kā, es tomēr runāšu

no matter how (= whatever happens), I will still speak

lai kur kāds runā, viņš tūdaļ pretī ar savu

wherever someone speaks, he immediately (goes) against him with his (words, opinions)

lai nu tālu, tomēr kādos svētkos raudzīšu attikt

however far (it may be), I will still try to be at the celebration

indicating strong concession, in combination with arī, nu, vai and with interrogative pronouns like cik, kāds, kurš, kas, kur; no matter how, which, who, what, where; however, wherever, whichever, whoever, whatever, wherever

zīlītes vairs negaidīja, lai Ilzīte viņas baro
the titmice no longer waited for Ilzīte to feed them

nē, viņa lūdza, lai es apturu mašīnu

vai nevajadzētu paziņot, lai atbrauc viņa piederīgie?

couldn't (you) have informed (us) that his people would come back?

bērnu stomatoloģiskajā poliklīnikā galvenokārt rūpējas par to, lai zobi tiktu savlaicīgi salaboti

in the children's dental clinic, one cares primarily that the (children's) teeth will be repaired in time

after certain verbs, introducing a direct object clause; that, for ... to, to

runā, lai var ko saprast

speak so that (= in such a way that) one can understand something

lampu novietu tā, lai gaisma krīt no augšas un kreisās puses

the lamp (is) placed in such a way that the light falls from the top and (from) the left side

tu centies to pateikt saudzīgi, tā, lai mani nesāpinātu

you try to say it gently, in such a way that it won't hurt me

indicating manner and/or purpose, usually correlating with an adverb like tā (“like that”) in the main clause; so that, such that, in such a way that

pie debesīm stāvēja pusmēness, izplatīdams pietiekošu krēslu, lai celiņu uz riju varētu redzēt

on the sky (there) was a half moon, spreading enough light (lit. dawn), so that one could see the little path to the barn

aitas bijušas tik vājas, lai vējš apgāztu

the sheep were so weak that the wind (would) turn them over

zemnieki bija pārāk iebaidīti, lai nakts laikā rādītos ārpus mājām

the peasants were too intimidated to show themselves outside during the night

nebija vēl noadīti tik biezi cimdi, lai tagad, laukā braucot, nesaltu rokas

(one) had not yet knit such thick gloves that, going out now, (one's) hands wouldn't freeze

indicating consequence, especially with tik (“so (much)”), pārāk (“too much”) and an adjective or participle in the main clause; so that, so ... that, too (much) ... for, to, that


ka

Originally an old neuter nominative singular form of kas (“who, what”) that acquired the function of a conjunction. Cognates include Old Prussian ka (“who, what”).

(a) subject:

labi, ka darbs padarīts

viņam nepatika, ka tagad viņi ar Plienu bija palikuši tikai divi

he didn't like that now only he and Pliens had remained

aplam darīts arī tas, ka divās dienās nopļāva visu Spilvas pļavu

wrongly done was also that (= the fact) that (he) mowed the entire Spilva meadow in two days

tveice bija tāda, ka šķita - tīrums smaržo kā liela rudzu kalte ― the heat was such that one felt (as if) the field smelled like a big rye drier

(b) attributive complement, (secondary) predicate

pienāca ziņa, ka tēvs saslimis

viņi nolaida karogus per zīmi, ka demonstrācija beigusies

they lowered the flags as a sign that the protest was over

vēl vairāk sirdi nospeiž sāpes, / ka atkal apkārt tikai mežs

even more the heart is oppressed by the pain / that again (there is) only forest around

ir tāds karstums, ka pat putniņi paslēpušies ― (there) is such a heat that even the little birds are hiding

viņš teica, ka varam iet

Ģirts redzēja, ka Artūrs nekā neapjēdz, ka labāk runāt par ko citu

Ģirts saw that Artūrs would never realize that it would be better to talk about something else

Krančelis izrādīja visu savu nemieru ar to, ka nevarēja meiteni iepriecināt

Krančelis showed all his concern with that (= the fact) that he could not cheer up the girl

kas gan var būt vēl skaistāks pasaulē par to, ka cilvēks palīdz cilvēkam un draugs - draugam! ― what can be more beautiful in (this) world than that (= the fact) that a person helps (another) person and a friend - (another) friend!

viņpus upes krastā Preimanis lādējās, ka visa pamale skanēja

on the shore, on the other side of the river, Preimanis cursed (in such a way) that the whole horizon resounded (with his curses)

Saulītis krāca tā, ka ārā varēja dzirdēt ― Saulītis snored so (= in such a way) that one could hear it outside
(e) adverbial complement (cause)
(often tāpēc ka, tādēļ ka, less frequently tamdēļ ka, tālab ka, “for the reason that”)

viņai kļūst kauns par sevi, ka pat domās pieļāvusi salīdzinājumu

she felt ashamed of herself, that (= because) she had allowed herself (to make) this comparison even in thought

publicisti uzbruka rakstniekiem, ka tie bez īstas kvēles un dedzības ķeras pagatavot lugas

the publishers attacked the writers that (= because) they tried to prepare (= write) plays without real fervor and zeal

“bet varbūt tāpēc līst, ka man sāp zobs”, viņš iedomājās

“but maybe it is raining for that reason, that (= because) my tooth hurts,” he thought

krievu valoda mums jāprot tādēļ, ka tā ir mūsu kaimiņu un draugu valoda

we must know Russian for that reason, that (= because) it is the language of our neighbors and friends

Ješka nepaguva atbildēt, tāpēc ka papriekš gribēja iedzert

Ješka couldn't answer, because he first wanted to drink

tu, tēvoc, daudz ko nedzirdi, tādēļ ka kurls esi palicis

you, uncle, haven't heard much, because you have become deaf

otrā rītā sāp mugura, ka tīri vai jāraud

the next morning (his) back was in pain, (so much) that (he) simply had to cry

visi bija tik satraukti, ka nemanīja, vai viņš atsveicinās vai ne

everybody was so excited that (they) did not noticed whether or not he said goodbye

Ainas acis vērāas tik mierīgas un vēas, ka viņš atmeta šādu domu

(but) Aina's eyes were so peaceful and cool (= calm) that he abandoned such thought(s)

dejotāju kājas bija noru noblietējušas tā, ka zeme sāka skanēt

the dancers' feet had stomped the (forest) glade so (= in such a way) that the earth began to resound

vējš gaudoja aizvien stiprāk, tā ka sāka jau drebēt majas jumts

the wind howled more and more strongly, so that the house roof began to shake

vecais zvirbulis bija ļoti noskumis un kļuva pat neuzmanīgs, tā ka to gandrīz noķēra pelēkais Minka ― the old sparrow had become very sad and even inattentive, so that the gray Minka (= cat) almost caught him

pēc malkas ej, ka var kurināt tam akmenim virsū!

go find wood, (so) that we can burn it on (top of) that rock

skrien kā traks, ka tikai izraut lielāku normu ― I run (= work) like crazy, (so) that I may get a larger margin (= advantage)

(h) adverbial complement (measure, proportion)

tūlīt pēc kara pievairojis bija pelēču, ka mudž

immediately after the war the grays (= landowners) became many, (so much) that (they) were swarming

viņa steidzās tik ļoti, ka neievēroja vaļējās klēts durvis un tajās sēdošo cilvēku

she hurried so much that (she) did not notice the open barn door and the person sitting in(side of) it

vai tik daudz sāpju sevī pārvarēji, / ka tikai prieku spēsi citiem sniegt? ― have you overcome so much pain in yourself / that you will be able to give only joy to others?

kas tas par draugu, ka nevar palīdzēt?

what kind of friend is he, that (= if) he can't help?

kur gan esat, zilie ceriņi, ka nekur vairs nesatieku jūs?

where are you, blue lilac, that (= if) I don't find you anywhere?

that; used to link a subordinate clause to the main clause, sometimes with a pronominal antecedent (tas, tāds, tik, tādēļ, tāpēc), with various different functions:


vai

Borrowed from Livonian vȯi or dialectal Estonian vai; compare other Finnic languages (Finnish vai, Standard Estonian või). First found occasionally in Latvian writings in the 17th century, initially as a conjunction, then as a particle, it became more frequent in the 18th century; but only in the 19th century did it really strike root in the language. Likely unrelated to Sanskrit वा (vā).

atbildi: jā vai nē!

viņa nezināja, ko pirkt: rozes vai neļķes

she didn't know what to buy: roses or carnations

used to indicate a disjunction between two elements; or (in the either-or sense, not in the sense of a.k.a., which is jeb).

ja labi grib, to darbu var veikt parasts dežurants, vai brigadieris, vai (...)

if (he) really wants, an ordinary man on duty can do this job, or a brigadier, or... (= or someone like that)

vai tas kāds noziegums, kauns, vai?

jums tas jādara, vai...

used to suggest vagueness, uncertainty, or a veiled threat; usually followed by ellipsis (...); or, or else...

nav zināms, vai to darījis viņš

es nezinu, vai to spēšu

pasaki, vai es esmu nodevējs

subordinate clause
subordinate clause#English

used to introduce conditional subordinate clauses; whether, if


kur

From Proto-Baltic *kur, from the same Proto-Indo-European stem *kʷu-, *kʷo- as the interrogative pronoun kas (q.v.). Cognates include Lithuanian kur̃, Old Church Slavonic къде (kŭde) (cf. Russian где (gde)), Sanskrit कुह (kúha).

(a) subject:

ja slimnieks sūdzas par sāpēm pakrūtē, tad jānoskaidro, kur īsti sāp, vairāk pa labi... vai pa kreisi...

if the patient complains of chest pain, then (we) must find out where it really hurts, more to the right... or to the left...

vistrokšņainākā istaba redakcijā bija tā, kur strādāja lauksaimniecības nodaļas līdzstrādnieki

the noisiest room in the editorial office was the one where the associates of the agriculture department worked

gravu ienaidnieks uzskatīja par vietu, kur katrā ziņā vajag būt sapulcētiem uzbrūkošajiem spēkiem

the enemy considered a ravine a place where in all respects there must be assembled attacking forces

itin kā zemes trūktu, kur dārzu stādīt ― as if there was no land where to plant a garden

(e) direct object (e.g., reporting a question)

tātad taisnība un brīvība nav vis pavisam pazudušas: Jēkabs zina, kur tās paslēptas

so, truth and freedom were not completely lost: Jēkabs knew where they (were) hidden

sveicināti! vai jūs man neparādītu, kur dzīvo Dzenes? ― hello! wouldn't you (= would you please) show me where the Dzenes live?

(f) spatial (adverbial), locative or directional (including the combination kur (tik) vien) “wherever...”)

kur dūmi, tur siltums

where (there is) smoke, (there is also) heat

labi, labi! ņem sievu un bērnus un ej, kur esi nācis! OK, OK! get (your) wife and children and go (back) where you came from!

allaž gribas nokļūt tur, kur esmu jau bijis

(I) always feel like going where I have already been (before)

Andriksons stāvēja turpat, kur stāvējis, stīvs un mēms

Andriksons stood right there where he had stopped, stiff and speechless

kur vien Liena parādījās, tur skumjas bēga kā nakts no dienas

wherever Liena showed herself, there sadness ran (away) like the night from the day

kur tik vien māceklis pieķeras, visur notik klizma

wherever the apprentice tried to do something, accidents happened

lai kur tu dzīvotu, jaunais draugs, lai cik klusa būtu tava sēta, tu allaž sasniegsi draugus

wherever you may live, young friend, no matter how quiet your little ranch is, you will always obtain friends

viņš ir tik karsts un nikns... lai kur kāds runā, viņš tūdaļ pretī ar savu

he is so hot (= angry) and wild... wherever someone is speaking, he immediately reacts with his (comments, counterarguments)

where; used to introduce subordinate clauses indicating location and relating to elements of the main clause with various different functions:


neba

From the negative conjunction ne (“neither, nor”), with an old particle ba found also at the end of the conjunction jeb.

cilvēka ķermenis radīts kustībai, neba bezmērķīgai zvilnēšanai

the human body is designed to move, not to loll aimlessly

jāiet jau būs (skolā), neba gribi izaugt kā slotas kāts?

(you) will have to go (to school), or do you want to grow as a broomstick (= poor)?

(dated, today usually nevis, ne, vai) not, not in order to, or else, lest

today usually nevis; ne; today usually nevis; ne


jeb

From Proto-Indo-European *yós, *ye- (“relative pronoun”), with a particle ba, attested also at the end of the old conjunction neba. Cognates include Lithuanian jei (“if”), dialectal jeba.

telefons jeb tālrunis

telephone, or far-speaker (two Latvian synonyms)

glaukoma jeb zaļais ūdens, kā tas tautā iesaukts

glaucoma, or green water, as it is popularly called

fonētika jeb valodniecības nozare, kas pētī valodas skaņas

phonetics, or the branch of linguistics that studies the sounds of language

vai nu tūlīt nāksi, jeb vai ilgi man būs jāgaida?

are you coming in now, or will I have to wait longer?

Andrs pagāja tālāk palūkot, vai Lakstiņš kambara durvis aizslēdz jeb vai tās visu laiku stāv vaļā

Andrs went to check whether Lakstiņš had locked the chamber door, or whether it had been open the whole time

or (uniting two clauses introduced by the conjunction vai, either questions or subordinate clauses)


arī

Formed from the particle ar with an extra ī (cf. Ancient Greek ἄρ (ár), ἄρα (ára, “so, then”), with an extra a).

sevišķi paplašinājās kviešu, kukurūzas, kā arī kokvilnas sējumi

particularly expanded were the fields of wheat, corn, as well as cotton

coordinating conjunction
coordinating conjunction

(as part of the coordinating conjunction kā arī) as well as

tomāti ir ne vien garšīgi, bet arī noderīgi un veselīgi

tomatoes are not only tasty but also useful and healthy

Rīgas alus ir slavens ne tikai savā dzimtenē, bet arī tālu aiz tās robežām

Riga beer is famous not only in its homeland, but also far from its borders

ne tikvien bērna gados, bet arī pieaugusi viņa paturēja to pašu prātu, kaut gan citādā ziņā nekā bērns

not only in (her) childhood years, but also (as a) grownup she kept the same mind, though in a different way than a child

(as part of the coordinating conjunctions ne vien ..., bet arī, ne tikai ..., bet arī, ne tikvien ..., bet arī, tiklab ... kā arī) not only ... but also, both ... and

mākoņi nekad nevar norimt, kaut arī liekas stāvam uz vietas

clouds never fade, though they seem to be (always) standing on the (same) place

Zaiga ar patiku noklausījās Kalnezera noteiktajos, kaut arī, ka viņai likās, savādajos spriedumos

Zaiga listened with pleasure to Kalnezers' resolute, albeit, as it seemed to her, bizarre, judgments (= observations, opinions)

lai arī dārzs ir mazliet nolaists, tas tomēr ir skaists

although the garden is a little neglected, it still is beautiful

(as part of the conjunctions kaut arī, lai arī) used to link a subordinate clause to a main clause, indicating a concessive relation between them; syn. lai gan, kaut gan); though, although, even though, albeit


tikai

Originally from tik (“such; only”) + tai (with loss of the second t), with tai being a form of the demonstrative pronoun tas (“that”); compare related particles tikko, tikām. Cognates include Lithuanian tiktaĩ, dialectal tìktai.

Jukums bija klusas, labsirdīgas dabas, tikai pārāk bikls un bailīgs

Jukums was of a quiet, kind-hearted nature, (but) just a little too self-conscious and shy

pusaudži abi vienā balsī apgalvoja, ka cilvēkus mežā neesat redzējuši, tikai vilku

both adolescents confirmed in one voice that they had not seen people in the forest, (but) only wolves

lūša pēdas atgādina kaķa pēdas, tikai tās ir lielākas

lynx footprints look like cat footprints, only (= with the difference that) they are bigger

zelta pietiktu vienam vai tūkstotim ļaužu; tikai ne visiem

the gold would be enough for one or for a thousand people; just not for all

used to link elements, usually indicating limitation of the meaning of the preceding element, or also a contrast with it; just, only

vai tagad jūs, draugi, zināt, kas ir mistrāls? tas ir vējš, kas spēj atnest ne tikai nelaimi, bet arī laimi

do you, friends, know what the mistral is? it is a wind that can bring not only unhappiness, but also happiness

Taive dzird ne tikai to, kas notiek klasē, bet arī pagalmā un dārzā

Taive hears not only what happens in the classroom, but also (what happens) in the yard and in the garden

(in the sequence ne tikai ... bet arī) used to connect two elements; not only ... but also


kāpēc

From kā (“what[gen.]”) + pēc (“after; for”).

(a) subject:

nav saprotams, kāpēc viņš tā runā

viņiem te jāzina viss, kādi mēs esam un kāpēc neko nedarām

they had to know everything, what we are and why we do nothing

jaunajam cilvēkiemm ne prātā neienāca, kāpēc meitene tik labi atceras vēstuļu skaitu ― (the reason) why the girl remembered the number of letters so well didn't enter into the new guy's mind

(b) (secondary) predicate, attributive complement:

grūti uztvert stāsta galveno ideju, mērķi, kāpēc tās radīts ― it was difficult to perceive the story's main idea, the target (= reason) why it was created

(c) direct object (e.g., reporting a question)

es nezinu, kāpēc viņš nenāk

pajautāšu, kāpēc viņš raud

tagad sapratu arī to, kāpēc pie mājas nav pasta kastītes, kāpēc logos aizkaru vietā dzeltē papīri, kāpēc te tāds klusums... un kāpēc neviens no šejienes nav aicināts kažās

then I understood why at (those) houses there are no mail boxes, why on the windows there is yellowish paper instead of curtains... and why nobody from here was invited to the wedding

why; used to introduce subordinate clauses indicating cause, motive, purpose, and relating to elements of the main clause with various different functions:

meži gadu aiz gada tika tālāk izcirsti, kāpēc katru gadu meža cirtējiem bija jānocilpo aizvien garāks gabals

the forests are being further and further cut down, because every ear the lumbermen had to cover a longer (= larger) piece (of territory)

(colloquial, syn. tāpēc) because; used to link two relatively independent sentence components


tāpēc ka

viņš neaizbrauca, tāpēc ka bija saslimis

Ješka nepaguva atbildēt, tāpēc ka papriekš gribēja iedzert

Ješka couldn't answer, because he first wanted to drink


tāpēc

From tā (“that[gen.]”) + pēc (“because of”).

upe plūst ļoti strauji, tāpēc puikas peldas īpatnējā veidā

the river is flowing too quickly, so / because of that the boy is swimming in a strange way

tā ir laba un interesanta grāmata, neskaitāmas reizes gājusi no rokas rokā, tāpēc arī paplukuši

this is a good and interesting book, gone dozens of times from hand to hand, (and) therefore (it had) also lost color, faded

pus pasaules vēl jāapskrien, tāpēc viņš traucas laukā no egļu un ošu pakrēšļa

he still had to run around half the world, so he rushed out of the shade of the spurce and ash trees

(used to indicate a cause-and-effect or intention-and-effect relation between clauses); so..., therefore..., because of that...

redziet, tā ir Studentu iela, tāpēc ka atrodas līdzās mūsu skolai un kalnu tehnikumam

look, this is the Students' street, because it is located in the vicinity of our school and of the hills' technical school

(in the combination tāpēc ka) used to indicate cause; because...


taču

From earlier (18th-century) tadšu, from the adverb tad (“then”) and an old particle *-šu, found also as the second element in jebšu, kauču (< kaut + šu), from earlier *-šau, from *-tyau. Cognates include Lithuanian tačiaũ.

(a) between sentence elements at the same level:

briesmīgas ir domas, kādas Nadīna domā par Jurģi... briesmīgas, taču... patiesas

terrible were the thoughts that Nadīna thought about Jurģis... terrible, but... true

mazā sanitāra pavēli zināja, taču bija izmanījusies neaizbraukt

the small sanitary (detachment) knew the order (to leave), but had decided not to leave

Adži ir viltīgs; viņš bezgala mīl Odesu, mīl Tbilisi, taču nekad nesāks klaji slavēt tās ― Adži is cunning; he loves (the cities of) Odessa and Tbilisi very much, but he would never openly praise them

(b) between coordinate clauses in a complex sentence

cilvēka iedarbība uz dabu sākās jau ar cilvēka tapšanu, taču cilvēka attīstības pirmsākuma laikā šī ietekme bija gandrīz nemanāma

human effects on the environment began already with the appearance of humans, but during the initial stages of human development their influence was almost imperceptible

rudens vējš nav sevišķi maigs, taču zēns, Daiņa jaunākais dēls, norūdījies

the autumn wind was not particularly mild, but the boy, Dainis' youngest son, was well seasoned

Nikolajs uzmanīgi skatās, taču viņa palīdzības šoreiz nevajag ― Nikolajs watched carefullyl, but his help was not necessary this time

(c) between a sentence and the preceding context

Bērni tomēr bija aizgājuši. Trīs dienas viņus neredzēja. Taču ceturtās dienas novakarē viņi izkāpa no autobusa, kam pie liepas bija pietura

The children, however, had left. For three days he didn't see them. But in the evening of the fourth day they got off the bus, which had a stop near the linden tree

but, but also; adversative conjunction, used to express strong opposition or contrast, with a nuance of surprise, inconsistency or contradiction, in various syntactic contexts:


nekā

viņš ir vecāks nekā es


drīz

drīz te, drīz tur

Used to tie together equal parts of a sentence.