tikt: Getting Somewhere

Getting Somewhere: Tikt

Level 3

Tikt means to get to a place, especially when reaching it takes some effort: Kā tikt uz staciju? (How do I get to the station?). It uses the same place words as other motion verbs: uz + accusative, līdz + dative, mājās.

How It Works

1. Where to.

  • uz + accusative: tikt uz staciju (to get to the station)
  • līdz + dative: tikt līdz centram (to get as far as the centre)
  • mājās: tikt mājās (to get home), with the locative mājās
  • direction words: tikt iekšā (to get in), tikt ārā (to get out)
  • pie + genitive for a person: tikt pie ārsta (to get to see a doctor)

2. Useful phrases.

  • Kā tikt uz ...? (How do I get to ...?) A bare infinitive makes a natural question; see infinitive questions.
  • Vai tu labi tiki mājās? (Did you get home all right?)
  • tikt galā (to cope, to manage): Es tikšu galā. (I will manage.)

3. Tikt, nokļūt and the passive. Nokļūt means much the same and sounds a little more formal: Kā nokļūt līdz centram? Tikt also works as a helper verb in the passive: Māja tika uzcelta (The house was built). Do not confuse the verb tikt with the adverb tik (so, so much).

Examples (6)

  1. Atvainojiet, kā tikt uz staciju?

    Excuse me, how do I get to the station?

    Kā tikt uz ...? is the usual way to ask for directions.

  2. Es netiku uz koncertu, jo biju slims.

    I did not get to the concert because I was ill.

    Netiku is the past tense with ne-: I did not make it there.

  3. Vai tu vakar labi tiki mājās?

    Did you get home all right yesterday?

    Tikt mājās uses the locative mājās.

  4. Ar šo autobusu var tikt līdz pašam centram.

    You can get right to the centre on this bus.

    Līdz takes the dative: līdz pašam centram.

  5. Durvis bija ciet, un mēs nevarējām tikt iekšā.

    The door was shut, and we could not get in.

    Tikt iekšā means to get in.

  6. Neuztraucies, es tikšu galā!

    Don't worry, I will manage!

    Tikt galā, literally to get to the end, means to cope or to manage.

Common Mistakes

  • Mixing up the present tieku and the past tiku.

    Vakar es vēlu tieku mājās.
    Vakar es vēlu tiku mājās.

    Tieku is present (I get), and tiku is past (I got). With vakar (yesterday), use the past.

  • Writing tik instead of tikt.

    Kā tik uz staciju?
    Kā tikt uz staciju?

    The verb is tikt, with a final t. Tik is a different word meaning so or so much.

How It Connects

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tikt: Getting SomewhereLevel 3Getting Somewhere: Tikt

Learn This First

Tikt means to get somewhere.

Words in This Pattern