aiz- / at-

Away and Here: Aiz- and at-

Level 4

Aiz- = away from here, or closing: aiziet (to leave), aizvērt (to close). At- = to here, back, or opening: atnākt (to arrive), atvērt (to open).

How It Works

1. Aiz-: away.

  • aiziet (to leave on foot, to go off): Viņš jau aizgāja. (He has already left.)
  • aizbraukt (to leave by vehicle): aizbraukt uz Rīgu (to leave for Riga)
  • aiznest (to carry somewhere): aiznest vēstuli uz pastu (to take the letter to the post office)

2. At-: here and back.

  • atnākt (to come, to arrive on foot): Atnāc rīt! (Come tomorrow!)
  • atbraukt (to arrive by vehicle): Kad tu atbrauci? (When did you arrive?)
  • atnest (to bring): Atnes man ūdeni! (Bring me some water!)
  • atdot (to give back): Es atdošu grāmatu rīt. (I will give the book back tomorrow.)

Compare aiznest (to take away) with atnest (to bring here). Choose by where the action ends: away from the speaker or at the speaker. The choice between iet and braukt stays the same (see iet and braukt).

3. Closing and opening.

  • aizvērt / atvērt (to close / to open): Aizver logu! Atver logu!
  • aizslēgt / atslēgt (to lock / to unlock): aizslēgt durvis
  • aizsiet / atsiet (to tie up / to untie)

A reflexive verb describes a door or shop doing it by itself: Durvis atvērās. (The door opened.) (see things that happen by themselves). To describe the state, use vaļā and ciet: Logs ir vaļā.

4. Other common verbs. Some aiz- and at- verbs are best learned as words: aizmirst (to forget), aizdot (to lend), atrast (to find), atcerēties (to remember).

Examples (6)

  1. Kad es atnācu, viņa jau bija aizgājusi.

    When I arrived, she had already left.

    atnākt (to arrive) and aiziet (to leave) look at the same movement from opposite ends.

  2. Autobuss aizbrauca bez mums.

    The bus left without us.

    aiz- + braukt: leaving by vehicle.

  3. Kad tu atbrauci uz Rīgu?

    When did you arrive in Riga?

    at- + braukt: arriving by vehicle.

  4. Atnes, lūdzu, man glāzi ūdens!

    Please bring me a glass of water!

    atnest means bringing something to where the speaker is.

  5. Aizver logu, ir auksti!

    Close the window, it is cold!

    aizvērt (to close) is the opposite of atvērt (to open).

  6. Vai tu vari man aizdot desmit eiro?

    Can you lend me ten euros?

    aizdot means to lend. Borrowing is aizņemties.

Common Mistakes

  • Asking a guest when they "left" when you mean when they arrived.

    Sveiks! Kad tu aizbrauci?
    Sveiks! Kad tu atbrauci?

    Aizbraukt means leaving a place. To ask a guest about their arrival, use atbraukt.

  • Using aizņemt when you mean "lend".

    Vai tu vari man aizņemt naudu?
    Vai tu vari man aizdot naudu?

    Aizdot means to lend. Aizņemties means to borrow: Es aizņēmos naudu no drauga. Aizņemt on its own means to take up or occupy: aizņemt vietu.

How It Connects

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

aiz- / at-Level 4Away and Here: Aiz- and at-

Learn This First

Aiz- and at- mean away and here.

Words in This Pattern

aiz-at-