vien
Only and Alone: Vien
Vien is a literary only that follows its word: Ar naudu vien nepietiek (Money alone is not enough). Everyday speech usually says tikai before the word.
How It Works
1. After a noun or pronoun: only, alone.
- Ar naudu vien nepietiek. (Money alone is not enough.)
- Tas vien jau ir liels darbs. (That alone is already a lot of work.)
- Tu vien mani saproti. (Only you understand me.)
Compare everyday tikai, which comes before its word: Tikai tu mani saproti.
2. After a verb: just, nothing but. Viņa smējās vien. (She just laughed.) Profesors runāja vien tālāk. (The professor just kept on talking.)
3. Vien is not viens. Viens (one) changes its ending; vien never does.
4. Fixed phrases. Vien appears in many common combinations:
- droši vien (probably)
- tāpat vien (just like that, for no reason)
- ja vien (provided that), cik vien (as much as possible)
- ne vien ... bet arī (not only ... but also)
Examples (6)
- Ar naudu vien nepietiek.
Money alone is not enough.
Word by Word: With money only not-suffices.
- Tas vien jau ir liels darbs.
That alone is already a lot of work.
Word by Word: That only already is big work.
- Tu vien mani saproti.
Only you understand me.
Word by Word: You only me understand.
Literary. Everyday: Tikai tu mani saproti.
- Viņa neko neteica, smējās vien.
She said nothing and just laughed.
Word by Word: She nothing not-said, laughed only.
After a verb, vien means just.
- No maizes vien nevar dzīvot.
You cannot live on bread alone.
Word by Word: From bread only cannot live.
- Viņš to izdarīja tāpat vien.
He did it just like that, for no reason.
Word by Word: He it did same only.
Tāpat vien is a fixed phrase.
Common Mistakes
Confusing vien with the number viens.
Ar naudu viens nepietiek.Ar naudu vien nepietiek.Viens is the number one and changes its ending. Only-vien has no ending and never changes.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Vien means only or alone.
Related Patterns
- ne vien ... bet arīNot Only in Literary Style
Ne vien ... bet arī uses vien in not only ... but also.
Level 6 - ja vienProvided That: Ja Vien
Ja vien means provided that.
Level 5 - cik vienAs Much as Possible: Cik Vien
Cik vien means as much as possible.
Level 6 - laikam / droši vien / varbūtProbably and Maybe
Droši vien (probably) contains vien as a fixed part.
Level 4 - pat / tiešiEven and Exactly
Pat and tieši are other short words that focus attention on one word.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice vien in Bubblegum
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