pateicoties + Dative

Thanks to

Level 5

Pateicoties means thanks to. It names the person or thing that made a good result possible, and that word is in the dative: Pateicoties draugiem, es ātri atradu darbu. (Thanks to my friends, I quickly found a job.)

How It Works

1. Form. Pateicoties is the -oties form of pateikties (to thank), fixed as a word meaning thanks to (see -ot and -oties). The noun after it is in the dative, just as after pateikties:

  • pateicoties draugiem (thanks to friends)
  • pateicoties labajam laikam (thanks to the good weather)
  • pateicoties jaunajam tiltam (thanks to the new bridge)

2. A helpful cause. The phrase gives the reason for a good result:

  • Pateicoties draugiem, es ātri atradu darbu. (Thanks to my friends, I quickly found a job.)
  • Mēs uzvarējām, pateicoties komandas darbam. (We won thanks to teamwork.)

3. With a clause. To give a whole fact as the cause, use pateicoties tam, ka: Pateicoties tam, ka viņa runā latviski, viņa ātri atrada draugus. (Because she speaks Latvian, she quickly found friends.)

4. Not for bad causes. Dictionaries describe pateicoties as naming a cause usually seen as positive. For rain that spoils a game, say Lietus dēļ spēle tika atcelta (The game was cancelled because of the rain). See dēļ + genitive.

Examples (5)

  1. Pateicoties draugiem, es ātri atradu darbu.

    Thanks to my friends, I quickly found a job.

    Word by Word: Thanking to-friends, I quickly found job.

  2. Pateicoties labajam laikam, raža bija laba.

    Thanks to the good weather, the harvest was good.

    Word by Word: Thanking to-the-good weather, harvest was good.

  3. Pateicoties jaunajam tiltam, ceļš uz pilsētu ir kļuvis īsāks.

    Thanks to the new bridge, the road to town has become shorter.

    Word by Word: Thanking to-the-new bridge, road to town has become shorter.

  4. Mēs uzvarējām, pateicoties komandas darbam.

    We won thanks to teamwork.

    Word by Word: We won, thanking to-team's work.

    Komandas is a genitive describer, and darbam is the dative after pateicoties.

  5. Pateicoties tam, ka viņa runā latviski, viņa ātri atrada draugus.

    Because she speaks Latvian, she quickly found friends.

    Word by Word: Thanking to-that, that she speaks Latvian, she quickly found friends.

    Pateicoties tam, ka introduces a whole fact as the helpful cause.

Common Mistakes

  • Using pateicoties for a bad cause.

    Pateicoties lietum, spēle tika atcelta.
    Lietus dēļ spēle tika atcelta.

    Pateicoties means thanks to, so with an unwelcome result it sounds odd or sarcastic. For a bad cause, use dēļ with the genitive.

  • Using the accusative instead of the dative.

    Pateicoties draugus, es ātri atradu darbu.
    Pateicoties draugiem, es ātri atradu darbu.

    Pateicoties comes from pateikties (to thank someone), which takes the dative. Say draugiem.

How It Connects

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pateicoties + DativeLevel 5Thanks to

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Pateicoties means thanks to.

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Words in This Pattern

pateikties