jeb- Pronouns

Anyone and Anything

Level 4

Add jeb- to a question word to mean any at all: jebkas (anything), jebkurš (any, anyone), jebkāds (any kind of), jebkur (anywhere), jebkad (ever).

How It Works

1. The family.

  • kas → jebkas (anything): Viņš ēd jebko. (He eats anything.)
  • kurš, kura → jebkurš, jebkura (any, anyone): Jautā jebkuram! (Ask anyone!)
  • kāds → jebkāds (any kind of)
  • kur → jebkur (anywhere): Šeit var sēdēt jebkur. (You can sit anywhere here.)
  • kad → jebkad (ever, at any time)

2. Case forms. Jebkas changes like kas: jebko, jebkam. Jebkurš changes like kurš and agrees with its noun: jebkura palīdzība (any help), jebkurā laikā (at any time), jebkuram (to anyone).

3. Jebkad. It is most common with comparisons: labāk nekā jebkad (better than ever). In an everyday question, Latvians usually say kādreiz: Vai tu kādreiz esi bijis Liepājā? (Have you ever been to Liepāja?)

4. Not with a negated verb. English says I don’t know anything. Latvian uses a ne- word together with a negated verb: Es neko nezinu. Es nekur neeju. Jeb- words belong in positive sentences, commands and questions, and after bez (without): bez jebkādas palīdzības (without any help).

5. Jeb- or kaut. Kaut kas means something: one thing you do not name. Jebkas means anything at all: Pastāsti kaut ko! (Tell me something!) but Viņš ēd jebko (He eats anything).

Examples (6)

  1. Jautā jebkuram!

    Ask anyone!

    Jautāt takes the dative: jebkuram.

  2. Zvani man jebkurā laikā!

    Call me any time!

    Jebkurš agrees with laiks: jebkurā laikā, in the locative.

  3. Šeit var sēdēt jebkur.

    You can sit anywhere here.

  4. Viņš ēd jebko.

    He eats anything.

    The accusative of jebkas is jebko.

  5. Tagad viņa runā latviski labāk nekā jebkad.

    Now she speaks Latvian better than ever.

  6. Jebkura palīdzība noderēs.

    Any help will be useful.

    Palīdzība is feminine, so jebkura.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a jeb- word with a negated verb.

    Es nezinu jebko.
    Es neko nezinu.

    With a negated verb, Latvian uses a ne- word: neko, neviens, nekur, nekad.

  • Leaving jebkurš in the nominative.

    Jautā jebkurš!
    Jautā jebkuram!

    Jebkurš changes case like kurš. Jautāt takes the dative: jebkuram.

  • Leaving jebkas in the nominative as an object.

    Viņš ēd jebkas.
    Viņš ēd jebko.

    As an object, jebkas takes the accusative form jebko, just as kas becomes ko.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

jeb- PronounsLevel 4Anyone and Anything

Learn This First

Jeb- pronouns mean anyone.

Words in This Pattern

jebkasjebkuršjebkad