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Definition 2024
sveiks
sveiks
Latvian
Adjective
sveiks (def. sveikais; irreg. adv. sveikā)
- (often sveiks un vesels) safe; unharmed despite adverse circumstances
- paliec, dzīvo sveiks! ― (may you) stay, live safe! (said when wishing someone well)
- visi sveiki un veseli pārnāca mājās ― all returned home safe and sound
- tas taču bija Kārlēns, kuru māte apraudāja par mirušu, un piepeši dzīvs, sveiks, šinī pusē! ― but that was Kārlēns, whose mother thought him dead, and suddenly (he was) alive, unharmed, on this side (= here)!
- Birkenbaums arvien cieti bija apzinājies, ka viņš sveiks izies caur dzīvi; kad kaut kur kāds bija sagriezis roku,..., tad puisis vienmēr to dzirdējis ar apziņu, ka viņu nekad nepiemeklēs šādas likstas ― Birkenbaums was always perfectly aware (of the fact) that he would go through life unharmed; when somewhere someone cut his hand,..., then the young man always heard (about) it with the knowledge that he would never have such troubles
- used as a greeting or leave-taking word, expressing good wishes; hallo! greetings!; goodbye! farewell!
- sveika, māt! ― hallo, mum!
- sveiks, Pakalnu tēv! ― greetings, father Pakalns!
- sveiks, Jaunais gads! ― hallo, New Year!
- “labdien!” nācējs viņu sveicināja; “sveiki, kaimiņ!” atsaucās Valdis ― “good morning!” the person who was coming greeted him; “hallo, neighbor!” Valdis replied
- “sveiks,” viņa saka, ātri pagrūž zēnam roku atvadām ― “goodbye,” she said, quickly waving her hand to the boy in a farewell (gesture)
Declension
indefinite declension (nenoteiktā galotne) of sveiks
masculine (vīriešu dzimte) | feminine (sieviešu dzimte) | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
singular (vienskaitlis) |
plural (daudzskaitlis) |
singular (vienskaitlis) |
plural (daudzskaitlis) |
||||||
nominative (nominatīvs) | sveiks | sveiki | sveika | sveikas | |||||
accusative (akuzatīvs) | sveiku | sveikus | sveiku | sveikas | |||||
genitive (ģenitīvs) | sveika | sveiku | sveikas | sveiku | |||||
dative (datīvs) | sveikam | sveikiem | sveikai | sveikām | |||||
instrumental (instrumentālis) | sveiku | sveikiem | sveiku | sveikām | |||||
locative (lokatīvs) | sveikā | sveikos | sveikā | sveikās | |||||
vocative (vokatīvs) | — | — | — | — | |||||
Usage notes
In the contemporary language, sveiks is more frequently used as a greeting than as an adjective: sveiks! “hallo!” (to a man), sveika! (to a woman), sveikas! (to several women), sveiki! (to several men; to men and women together; to one person, male or female, indicating respect; cf. the plural pronoun jūs “you (pl.)” used to indicate respect, like French vous, German Sie or Russian вы (vy)).
Synonyms
- (of "unharmed"): vesels
- (of "goodbye!"): uz redzēšanos! atā! (colloquial)
Related terms
- sveiciens
- sveikas
- sveikt, sveicināt
References
- ↑ Karulis, Konstantīns (1992), “sveiks”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, ISBN 9984-700-12-7