diezin vai

It Is Doubtful: Diezin Vai

Level 5

Start a sentence with diezin vai or diez vai to say you doubt it: Diezin vai viņš atnāks (I doubt he will come).

How It Works

1. Doubt in two words. Diezin vai + a statement says that you think it is unlikely:

  • Diezin vai tā ir taisnība. (That is hardly true.)
  • Diez vai rīt būs silts. (It is unlikely to be warm tomorrow.)

Diez vai is a shorter form of the same thing.

2. Keep the verb positive. The doubt is in diezin vai. Adding ne- flips the meaning: Diezin vai viņš neatnāks means He will most likely come.

3. As a short answer. — Vai paspēsim uz vilcienu? — Diezin vai. (Will we make the train? I doubt it.)

4. Diezin with other question words. Diezin kāpēc, diezin kur and diezin kas mean I wonder why, where, what: Diezin kāpēc viņa nezvana (I wonder why she is not calling). Only diezin vai means doubt.

5. Register. Diezin vai belongs to relaxed speech. In neutral or formal writing, use maz ticams, ka (it is unlikely that) or the words in laikam droši vien varbūt.

Examples (5)

  1. Diezin vai viņš atnāks.

    I doubt he will come.

    Word by Word: Who-knows whether he will-come.

  2. Diezin vai tā ir taisnība.

    That is hardly true.

    Word by Word: Who-knows whether that is truth.

  3. Diez vai rīt būs silts.

    It is unlikely to be warm tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Who-knows whether tomorrow will-be warm.

  4. — Vai paspēsim uz vilcienu? — Diezin vai.

    "Will we make the train?" "I doubt it."

    Word by Word: — Whether we-will-make to train? — Who-knows whether.

  5. Diezin kāpēc viņa nezvana.

    I wonder why she is not calling.

    Word by Word: Who-knows why she not-calls.

    With kāpēc, diezin means I wonder, not doubt.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding a negative to express doubt.

    Diezin vai viņš neatnāks.
    Diezin vai viņš atnāks.

    Diezin vai already means probably not. With ne- the sentence means he will probably come, the opposite of the intended I doubt he will come.

  • Using ka instead of vai.

    Diezin, ka viņš atnāks.
    Diezin vai viņš atnāks.

    The fixed phrase is diezin vai, with no comma. English doubt that does not become ka here.

How It Connects

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

diezin vaiLevel 5It Is Doubtful: Diezin Vai

Learn This First

Diezin vai expresses doubt.

Words in This Pattern

diezvai