sākt / beigt / turpināt + Infinitive

Starting, Stopping and Continuing

Level 3

Put an infinitive after sākt, beigt or turpināt: Es sāku mācīties (I started studying), Beidz runāt! (Stop talking!), Viņa turpina strādāt (She keeps working). Only the first verb changes its form.

How It Works

1. With an infinitive. This works like gribēt and varēt:

  • Sāk līt. (It is starting to rain.)
  • Es beidzu smēķēt. (I have quit smoking.)
  • Turpini lasīt! (Keep reading!)

2. With a noun. All three can take an accusative object: sākt darbu (to start work), turpināt ceļu (to continue on your way). Beigt skolu means to finish school.

3. Things that start by themselves. When the subject is an event, use the reflexive form (see things that happen by themselves): Filma sākas astoņos. (The film starts at eight.) Koncerts beidzās vēlu. (The concert ended late.) Lietus turpinājās visu dienu. (The rain went on all day.)

4. Stop! The imperative Beidz! (Stop it!) is very common; to several people or politely it is Beidziet! The verb pārstāt also means to stop: Pārstāj raudāt! (Stop crying!)

Examples (6)

  1. Sāk līt, ņem lietussargu!

    It's starting to rain, take an umbrella!

    Sāk with the infinitive līt (to rain).

  2. Beidz runāt un klausies!

    Stop talking and listen!

    Beidz is the command form of beigt.

  3. Viņa turpina strādāt, lai gan ir vēls.

    She keeps working even though it is late.

    Turpina with the infinitive strādāt.

  4. Es sāku mācīties latviešu valodu pagājušajā gadā.

    I started learning Latvian last year.

    Sāku is past here, as pagājušajā gadā (last year) shows.

  5. Mans tēvs beidza smēķēt pirms desmit gadiem.

    My father quit smoking ten years ago.

    Beidza is the third-person past of beigt.

  6. Filma sākas pulksten astoņos.

    The film starts at eight o'clock.

    An event starts by itself, so the verb is reflexive: sākas.

Common Mistakes

  • Conjugating the second verb too.

    Es sāku mācos latviešu valodu.
    Es sāku mācīties latviešu valodu.

    Only sākt changes. The verb after it stays in the infinitive: mācīties.

  • Using sākt without -ties for an event.

    Filma sāk astoņos.
    Filma sākas astoņos.

    Sākt needs someone who starts something. When an event starts by itself, use the reflexive sākties: sākas.

How It Connects

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

sākt / beigt / turpināt + InfinitiveLevel 3Starting, Stopping and Continuing

Learn This First

Starting and stopping take an infinitive.

Words in This Pattern

beigtturpinātsāktiesbeigtiesturpināties