ne- + -ams

Unbelievable and Inevitable

Level 5

Put ne- in front of an -ams participle to get an English un-...-able word: neticams (unbelievable), neaizmirstams (unforgettable), neizbēgams (inevitable).

How It Works

1. Building the word. Start from the -ams participle and add ne- at the front, written together:

  • ticēt → ticams → neticams (unbelievable)
  • redzēt → redzams → neredzams (invisible)
  • izbēgt → izbēgams → neizbēgams (inevitable)
  • aizmirst → aizmirstams → neaizmirstams (unforgettable)
  • izturēt → izturams → neizturams (unbearable)
  • ēst → ēdams → neēdams (inedible)

2. It agrees like an adjective. neticams stāsts, neaizmirstama vasara, neēdamas sēnes. The adverb ends in -i: Tas ir neticami! (That's unbelievable!)

3. Not always 'cannot'. Some words simply mean 'not': nezināms means unknown, not 'unknowable'. Check each word in a dictionary.

4. Compare the -ts form. Ne- + -ts describes what did not happen: neaizmirsts (not forgotten). Ne- + -ams describes what cannot happen: neaizmirstams (unforgettable). The same ne- also makes other opposites; see ne- opposites.

Examples (5)

  1. Tas ir neticams stāsts.

    That is an unbelievable story.

    Word by Word: That is unbelievable story.

  2. Šī vasara bija neaizmirstama.

    This summer was unforgettable.

    Word by Word: This summer was unforgettable.

    Vasara is feminine, so the ending is -a.

  3. Karš šķita neizbēgams.

    War seemed inevitable.

    Word by Word: War seemed inevitable.

  4. Šīs sēnes ir neēdamas.

    These mushrooms are inedible.

    Word by Word: These mushrooms are inedible.

  5. Karstums bija neizturams.

    The heat was unbearable.

    Word by Word: Heat was unbearable.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing ne- as a separate word.

    Tas ir ne ticams stāsts.
    Tas ir neticams stāsts.

    Ne- is a prefix here, so it is written together with the participle.

  • Using the -ts form when you mean 'cannot be forgotten'.

    Tā bija neaizmirsta nakts.
    Tā bija neaizmirstama nakts.

    Neaizmirsts means 'not forgotten'. To say 'unforgettable', use the -ams form: neaizmirstama.

  • Not making the word agree with its noun.

    Šī vasara bija neaizmirstams.
    Šī vasara bija neaizmirstama.

    Vasara is feminine, so the participle needs the feminine ending -a.

How It Connects

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

ne- + -amsLevel 5Unbelievable and Inevitable

Learn This First

Ne- + -ams often means something cannot be done; some words simply mean not, as in nezināms (unknown).

Words in This Pattern

ne--ams-āms