ļaut / laist

Letting: Ļaut and Laist

Level 4

Ļaut means to allow someone to do something: Ļauj man palīdzēt! Laist means to let someone go or pass somewhere: Laid mani iekšā!

How It Works

1. Ļaut: allowing an action. Its forms are ļauju, ļauj, ļauj; past ļāvu; future ļaušu; commands ļauj! and ļaujiet!

  • Ļauj man palīdzēt! (Let me help!)
  • Vecāki man neļauj vēlu skatīties televizoru. (My parents do not let me watch TV late.)
  • Ļauj bērniem spēlēties! (Let the children play!)

The polite command ļaujiet also announces what you are about to do: Ļaujiet man pajautāt. (Allow me to ask.) Ļaut is close to atļaut (to permit) and the opposite of aizliegt (to forbid).

2. Laist: letting someone move. Its forms are laižu, laid, laiž; past laidu; future laidīšu; commands laid! and laidiet!

  • Laid mani iekšā! (Let me in!)
  • Vai tu vakarā laid suni ārā? (Do you let the dog out in the evening?)
  • Robežsargi mūs nelaida pāri robežai. (The border guards did not let us across the border.)

The direction words are the ones in direction words after verbs. Prefixed forms carry the direction inside the verb: ielaist (to let in), izlaist (to let out), palaist vaļā (to let go).

3. Choosing. Ask what comes after let. An action such as help, play or watch needs ļaut with a dative and an infinitive. A movement in, out, past or away needs laist with an accusative. You can also say the second idea with ļaut and a verb of motion: Ļauj man ienākt! means the same as Laid mani iekšā!

4. Not likt. Likt uses the same pattern as ļaut but gives an order: Mamma ļāva man iet (Mom let me go) versus Mamma lika man iet (Mom told me to go). To ask permission for yourself, use drīkstēt: Vai es drīkstu ienākt?

Examples (6)

  1. Ļauj man palīdzēt!

    Let me help!

    Word by Word: Allow to-me to-help!

    Ļaut + dative man + the infinitive palīdzēt.

  2. Laid mani iekšā!

    Let me in!

    Laist + accusative mani + the direction word iekšā.

  3. Vecāki man neļauj vēlu skatīties televizoru.

    My parents do not let me watch TV late.

  4. Ļauj bērniem spēlēties!

    Let the children play!

    The children are in the dative plural: bērniem.

  5. Vai tu vakarā laid suni ārā?

    Do you let the dog out in the evening?

    Suni is accusative; ārā gives the direction.

  6. Robežsargi mūs nelaida pāri robežai.

    The border guards did not let us across the border.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting the person after ļaut in the accusative.

    Ļauj mani palīdzēt!
    Ļauj man palīdzēt!

    Ļaut takes the person who is allowed in the dative: man, tev, viņam, bērniem.

  • Putting the person after laist in the dative.

    Laid man iekšā!
    Laid mani iekšā!

    Laist moves someone, so that person is its direct object in the accusative: mani, tevi, suni.

  • Using ļaut with only a direction word.

    Ļauj mani iekšā!
    Laid mani iekšā!

    Ļaut needs an action verb. For letting someone in or out, use laist, or say Ļauj man ienākt!

How It Connects

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ļaut / laistLevel 4Letting: Ļaut and Laist

Learn This First

Ļaut and laist mean to let.

Words in This Pattern

ļautlaist