vairs / vēl ne
No Longer and Not Yet
vairs + a ne- verb = no longer: Es vairs nestrādāju. vēl + a ne- verb = not yet: Es vēl nezinu.
How It Works
No longer: vairs.
- Es vairs nestrādāju. (I no longer work.)
- Vairs nelīst. (It has stopped raining.)
- Viņš vairs nedzīvo Rīgā. (He doesn't live in Riga any more.)
- With nav: Piena vairs nav. (There is no milk left.) See nav with the genitive.
Not yet: vēl.
- Es vēl nezinu. (I don't know yet.)
- Viņa vēl nav mājās. (She isn't home yet.)
Vēl ne also works alone as an answer: Vai tu jau esi gatavs? — Vēl ne. (Are you ready yet? — Not yet.)
Two pairs of opposites. Together with jau (already), these words line up in opposites:
- Es jau strādāju. (I'm already working.) ↔ Es vēl nestrādāju. (I'm not working yet.)
- Es vēl strādāju. (I'm still working.) ↔ Es vairs nestrādāju. (I'm no longer working.)
Vairs or vairāk? Vairāk means more, in amount: Es gribu vairāk. (I want more.) For no longer, the word is vairs.
Examples (6)
- Es vairs nestrādāju.
I no longer work.
Word by Word: I no-longer not-work.
- Vairs nelīst.
It has stopped raining.
Word by Word: No-longer not-rains.
- Viņš vairs nedzīvo Rīgā.
He doesn't live in Riga any more.
- Es vēl nezinu.
I don't know yet.
Word by Word: I yet not-know.
- Viņa vēl nav mājās.
She isn't home yet.
Word by Word: She yet is-not at-home.
- Vai tu jau esi gatavs? — Vēl ne.
Are you ready yet? — Not yet.
Common Mistakes
Forgetting ne- on the verb.
Es vairs strādāju.Es vairs nestrādāju.Vairs means no longer only together with a negated verb. Put ne- on the verb: nestrādāju.
Mixing up vairs and vēl.
Es esmu pensijā, tāpēc es vēl nestrādāju.Es esmu pensijā, tāpēc es vairs nestrādāju.Vēl nestrādāju means you have not started working yet. After retiring, you have stopped, so use vairs.
Using vairāk for no longer.
Es vairāk nesmēķēju.Es vairs nesmēķēju.Vairāk means more, so this says you don't smoke more, not that you have stopped. For no longer, use vairs.
How It Connects
Learn This First
No longer and not yet build on jau and vēl.
Related Patterns
- nekas / neviens / nekur / nekadNobody, Nothing and Never
Other words that go with a negated verb.
Level 2 - nav + GenitiveThere Is No and I Have No
Piena vairs nav: no milk is left.
Level 2 - navNegative Present of Būt
Vēl nav and vairs nav are built on nav.
Level 1 - nemazNot at All: Nemaz
Another word that strengthens a negated verb.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice vairs / vēl ne in Bubblegum
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