Module 08 · Past, future, prefixes · Pagātne, nākotne, priedēkļi · Level A2
Prefixes and prepositions I: direction of motion
Priedēkļi un prievārdi I
Some prefixes correspond to prepositions (aiz-, ap-, no-, pie-, uz-), but not every prefix is a preposition: ie-, iz-, sa- are not used independently that way. The construction determines the form: ieiet istabā, iziet no mājas, aiziet uz veikalu.
| Prefix | Meaning | Verb | Matching preposition |
|---|---|---|---|
| ie- | inward | ieiet (to go in), ienākt, ielikt, iebraukt | (iekšā "inside"), uz + acc. |
| iz- | outward; completion | iziet (to go out), izbraukt, iznākt, izlasīt (to read through) | no + gen. |
| aiz- | leaving, going behind | aiziet (to leave), aizbraukt (to drive away), aizvērt (to close), aizmirst | uz + acc.; aiz + gen. |
| at- | arrival here; back | atnākt (to arrive), atbraukt (to arrive by vehicle), atdot (to give back), atvērt (to open) | no + gen. (from where) |
| uz- | upward; onto a surface; a single occurrence | uzkāpt (to climb up), uzlikt (to put on), uzrakstīt (to write down), uzdot | uz + gen. (on what) |
| no- | downward; off a surface; completion | nokāpt (to climb down), noņemt (to take off), nolikt, nopirkt (to buy) | no + gen. |
| pie- | approach, attachment | pienākt (to approach), piebraukt, pielikt (to add), piezvanīt | pie + gen. |
| pār- | across; over- | pāriet (to cross), pārbraukt, pārcelties (to move house), pārdot | pāri + dat. |
| ap- | around; about- | apiet (to go around), apskatīt (to look around), apciemot (to visit) | ap + acc. |
| sa- | together; con- | sanākt (to gather), satikt (to meet), salikt (to put together), saprast | ar |
| pa- | a little; slightly; completion | paiet (to walk a while / to pass), pagaidīt (to wait a bit), pateikt (to say), palīdzēt | pa + acc. |
Motion "there — from there"
| Where to / from | Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| into the room | ieiet | Es ieeju istabā. |
| out of the room | iziet | Es izeju no istabas. |
| to leave (from here) | aiziet | Viņš aizgāja uz darbu. |
| to arrive (to here) | atnākt | Viņa atnāca mājās. |
| to approach | pienākt | Pienāc pie manis! |
| to pass by | paiet garām | Autobuss pabrauca garām. |
A prefix changes the aspect
A prefix can express a result: lasīt → izlasīt, rakstīt → uzrakstīt, ēst → apēst. Completion is not automatic: prefixes can change direction or meaning, and an action can recur: katru dienu aiziet uz darbu. Interpret the verb in context.
Exercise
Pick the right prefix: 1) He went out of the house. 2) I read the book (through). 3) Come here! 4) We moved to Riga.
Answers
1) Viņš izgāja no mājas. 2) Es izlasīju grāmatu. 3) Pienāc šurp! 4) Mēs pārcēlāmies uz Rīgu.Open the lesson in the trainer — with exercises and a “done” mark →Module test 08