likt + Dative + Infinitive
Telling Someone to Do Something
Likt + a dative person + an infinitive means to tell or make someone do something: Ārsts lika man palikt mājās (The doctor told me to stay at home).
How It Works
1. Forms. Likt is a first-conjugation verb: lieku, liec, liek; past liku, lika; future likšu; commands liec! and lieciet!, negative neliec!
2. Telling someone to do something.
- Ārsts lika man palikt mājās. (The doctor told me to stay at home.)
- Mamma lika bērniem iet gulēt. (Mom told the children to go to bed.)
The same order can also be reported with lai and a new clause: Ārsts lika, lai es palieku mājās. See lai after verbs of wanting and asking.
3. Making someone do something. When the subject is a thing or an event, likt means to cause: Šī filma man lika aizdomāties. (This film made me think.) Kas tev lika tā domāt? (What made you think that?) A person can also make someone do something without giving an order: Neliec viņam gaidīt! (Do not make him wait!)
4. Likt also means to put. Its most basic meaning is to put or lay something somewhere: Liec grāmatu uz galda. (Put the book on the table.) A dative person and an infinitive after likt show the tell or make meaning.
5. Likt or ļaut. Both take a dative and an infinitive, but likt is an order and ļaut is permission: Mamma lika man iet (Mom told me to go) versus Mamma ļāva man iet (Mom let me go).
Examples (6)
- Ārsts lika man palikt mājās.
The doctor told me to stay at home.
Word by Word: Doctor told to-me to-stay at-home.
Likt + dative man + the infinitive palikt.
- Neliec viņam gaidīt!
Do not make him wait!
The negative command of likt: neliec.
- Mamma lika bērniem iet gulēt.
Mom told the children to go to bed.
- Skolotāja lika mums pārrakstīt tekstu.
The teacher told us to rewrite the text.
- Šī filma man lika aizdomāties.
This film made me think.
With a thing as the subject, likt means to cause.
- Kas tev lika tā domāt?
What made you think that?
Common Mistakes
Putting the person in the accusative.
Ārsts lika mani palikt mājās.Ārsts lika man palikt mājās.The person who is told to act is in the dative after likt: man, tev, viņam.
Using likt when you mean permission. Intended meaning: Mom let me go to the party.
Mamma lika man iet uz ballīti.Mamma ļāva man iet uz ballīti.Likt means Mom told you to go. For permission, use ļaut.
Using a present-tense verb instead of the infinitive.
Ārsts lika man paliek mājās.Ārsts lika man palikt mājās.The action after likt is always an infinitive. A new subject and a present verb need lai: lika, lai es palieku.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Likt means to tell someone to do something.
Related Patterns
- gribēt, laiWanting Someone to Do Something
Orders can also be reported with lai: lika, lai es palieku.
Level 4 - Giving to Someone
The dative that marks the person who is told.
Level 2 - Giving Commands
Direct commands such as Paliec mājās! that likt reports.
Level 3 - Reported Speech With kaReported Speech
Reported statements use ka; reported orders use likt or lai.
Level 4 - Verbs With a Dative Person
Other verbs where the person affected is in the dative.
Level 3
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice likt + Dative + Infinitive in Bubblegum
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