Verb Prefixes

Level 4

Latvian adds a short prefix to a verb to show direction or change its meaning: iet (to go) → ieiet (to go in), iziet (to go out), aiziet (to leave), atiet (to step away).

How It Works

1. The eleven prefixes and their basic meanings.

  • ie- into: ienākt (to come in) — iz- out of, through: iznākt (to come out) (see ie- and iz-)
  • aiz- away, closing: aizbraukt (to drive away) — at- here, back, opening: atbraukt (to arrive) (see aiz- and at-)
  • uz- up, onto: uzkāpt (to climb up) — no- down, off: nokāpt (to climb down) (see uz- and no-)
  • pie- up to, adding: pienākt (to come up to) — pār- across, back, again: pārnākt (to come back home) (see pie- and pār-)
  • sa- together: sanākt (to gather) — ap- around, covering: apiet (to go around) (see sa- and ap-)
  • pa- a little, for a while: pagaidīt (to wait a moment) (see pa-)

2. One verb, many directions. The same base verb takes many prefixes. With nākt (to come): ienākt (to come in), iznākt (to come out), atnākt (to arrive), pienākt (to come up to), sanākt (to gather), pārnākt (to come back home).

3. New meanings. Sometimes the meaning moves far from the base verb, so learn these as new words: dot (to give) → pārdot (to sell); prast (to know how) → saprast (to understand); ņemt (to take) → pieņemt (to accept). A few have no plain verb with the same meaning, such as aizmirst (to forget).

4. Finished actions. Most prefixes also show that the action reaches its end: rakstīt (to write) → uzrakstīt (to write and finish) (see finished actions).

5. How prefixed verbs behave.

  • They conjugate like the base verb, irregular forms included: iet → eju, gāju, so ieiet → ieeju, iegāju; dot → devu, so pārdot → pārdevu.
  • ne- goes in front of the prefix: neatnāca (did not come), nesaprotu (I do not understand).
  • The debitive jā- also goes in front: jāaiziet (have to leave).
  • A reflexive verb keeps -ties at the end: apsēsties (to sit down), atgriezties (to return).

Direction words such as ārā or prom can also go after a verb, and they often combine with a prefix: iziet ārā (to go outside) (see direction words).

Examples (6)

  1. Viņš ienāca istabā.

    He came into the room.

    ie- (into) + nākt. The place you enter takes the locative: istabā.

  2. Es iznācu no veikala.

    I came out of the shop.

    iz- (out of) + nākt, with no + genitive for the place you leave.

  3. Viņa aizgāja uz darbu.

    She left for work.

    aiz- (away) + iet. The past follows iet: gāju → aizgāju, aizgāja.

  4. Aizver durvis, lūdzu!

    Close the door, please!

    aiz- also means closing: vērt → aizvērt. Its opposite is atvērt (to open).

  5. Mēs pārdevām veco mašīnu.

    We sold the old car.

    pār- + dot gives a new meaning: pārdot (to sell). Past: dot → devu, so pārdevu.

  6. Es tevi nesaprotu.

    I do not understand you.

    ne- goes before the prefix: saprast → nesaprast.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting ne- after the prefix.

    Viņš atnenāca.
    Viņš neatnāca.

    The negative ne- always comes first, in front of the prefix: atnāca → neatnāca.

  • Writing the prefix as a separate word.

    Viņš aiz gāja.
    Viņš aizgāja.

    A prefix is part of the verb and is written together with it. Aiz on its own is a preposition meaning "behind".

How It Connects

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Verb PrefixesLevel 4

Learn This First

Verb prefixes change the meaning of verbs.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

aiz-ap-at-ie-iz-no-pa-pār-pie-sa-uz-