Reciprocal sa- ... -ties

Doing Something Together

Level 4

A sa- ... -ties verb often means doing something with each other: satikties (to meet), sarunāties (to talk together), sadraudzēties (to become friends).

How It Works

1. Common verbs.

  • satikties — to meet (each other)
  • sarunāties — to talk, to have a conversation
  • sadraudzēties — to become friends
  • sarakstīties — to write to each other
  • sastrīdēties — to quarrel
  • sadoties rokās — to join hands

The prefix sa- adds together, and the -ties ending turns the action back onto the people doing it.

2. Two ways to name the people.

  • Everyone in the subject: Mēs ilgi sarunājāmies. (We talked for a long time.) Bērni ātri sadraudzējās. (The children quickly became friends.)
  • One person in the subject, the other with ar: Es sadraudzējos ar kaimiņu. (I became friends with my neighbour.)

3. The pair without -ties. The same root without -ties takes an object: Es satiku Annu (I met Anna) and Mēs satikāmies (We met) describe the same event. Do not mix them: satikt needs an object, and satikties never takes one.

4. Learn each verb. Not every sa- -ties verb is mutual: saģērbties means to get dressed. Some mutual verbs have no sa-: tikties (to meet), strīdēties (to argue). For a verb with no mutual form, use viens otru: Viņi mīl viens otru.

Examples (6)

  1. Satiksimies pie kafejnīcas!

    Let’s meet by the café!

    The let’s form of satikties: satiksimies.

  2. Mēs ilgi sarunājāmies.

    We talked for a long time.

    The plural subject mēs includes everyone who took part.

  3. Bērni ātri sadraudzējās.

    The children quickly became friends.

  4. Es satikos ar Annu pilsētā.

    I met up with Anna in town.

    One person in the subject, the other with ar + instrumental.

  5. Mēs gadiem sarakstījāmies.

    We wrote to each other for years.

  6. Brāļi atkal sastrīdējās.

    The brothers quarrelled again.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the verb without -ties and without an object.

    Mēs satikām pie kafejnīcas.
    Mēs satikāmies pie kafejnīcas.

    Satikt needs an object (satikt Annu). To say that people met each other, use satikties.

  • Giving a -ties verb a direct object.

    Es satikos Annu.
    Es satikos ar Annu.

    Satikties takes no object. Name the other person with ar, or use satikt: Es satiku Annu.

  • Adding viens otru to a reciprocal -ties verb.

    Mēs satikāmies viens otru.
    Mēs satikāmies.

    The -ties ending already means each other, so viens otru is not needed.

How It Connects

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

Reciprocal sa- ... -tiesLevel 4Doing Something Together

Learn This First

Reflexives with sa- can mean together.

Words in This Pattern

sa--ties