Module 08 · Past, future, prefixes · Pagātne, nākotne, priedēkļi · Level B1
Prefixes and prepositions II: meaning and nuance
Priedēkļi un prievārdi II
The second part is about how a single prefix can completely change a verb's meaning, and about "subtle" prefixes that have no direct English equivalent.
One root — ten words
| Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| iet | to go |
| ieiet | to go in |
| iziet | to go out; to complete (a course) |
| aiziet | to leave |
| atiet | to step away; to depart (of a train) |
| pāriet | to cross over; to pass (of pain) |
| pieiet | to approach |
| apiet | to go around |
| noiet | to go down; to cover a distance |
| uziet | to find (by chance); to climb up |
| saiet | to come together |
| paiet | to pass (of time): pagāja gads — a year went by |
| Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ņemt | to take |
| paņemt | to pick up, take with you |
| saņemt | to receive |
| pieņemt | to accept (a decision, a hire) |
| noņemt | to take off |
| pārņemt | to take over, to overwhelm |
| izņemt | to take out; except for (izņemot) |
| uzņemt | to receive (guests); to film, shoot (a movie) |
| atņemt | to take away |
| apņemties | to resolve, to undertake (a task) |
Prefixes that need extra attention
- pa- — "a little" or "completion": pagaidīt (to wait a bit), pastrādāt (to work a while), padomāt (to think it over), pateikt (to say), palūgt (to ask). Very common in polite requests: Pagaidi! Padomā!
- sa- — "together / to a finished state": saprast (to understand), satikt, sarunāt (to arrange), salabot (to fix), sagatavot (to prepare).
- ie- — "beginning / inward / acquiring a skill": iemācīties (to learn), iepazīties (to get acquainted), iesākt (to begin), iepirkties (to go shopping).
- iz- — "to the end / exhaustively": izlasīt, izdzert, iztīrīt (to clean thoroughly), izdarīt (to get done), izskaidrot (to explain), izdoties (to turn out well).
- no- — result, seeing something through: nopirkt (to buy), nomazgāt (to wash), nokārtot (to pass an exam, to sort out), nolemt (to decide), nomirt.
- pār- — "over-/re-": pārrakstīt (to rewrite), pārdomāt (to change one's mind), pārcelties (to move house), pārbaudīt (to check), pārtraukt (to interrupt).
- at- — "back, in return": atdot (to give back), atgriezties (to return), atcerēties (to remember), atrast (to find), atbildēt (to answer), atteikties.
Think of these prefixes the way you'd think of an English phrasal verb's particle: pa-domāt is like "think over", sa-prast is like "figure out", at-dot is like "give back" — the particle carries the added shade of meaning, it just comes glued onto the front of the verb instead of standing after it.
The preposition stays with the verb
A prefix doesn't replace the preposition — they work together: ieiet iekšā / istabā; aiziet uz veikalu; atnākt no darba; pieiet pie loga; nokāpt no kalna; uzkāpt uz kalna.
Exercise
What does this mean: 1) pārdomāt 2) saņemt 3) iemācīties 4) nokārtot eksāmenu 5) pagaidi
Answers
1) to change one's mind · 2) to receive · 3) to learn · 4) to pass an exam · 5) wait
Open the lesson in the trainer — with exercises and a “done” mark →Module test 08