Latvian

Verb

ņemt tr., 1st conj., pres. ņemu, ņem, ņem, past ņēmu

1. to take (to seize with one's hands for some purpose)

   ņemt rokā lāpstu‎ ― to take the shovel with (lit. in) (one's) hands

   ņemt karoti un sākt ēst‎ ― to take the spoon and begin to eat

   ņemt adatu pirkstos‎ ― to take the needle with (lit. in) (one's) fingers

   ņemt bērnu pie rokas‎ ― to take the child by the hand

   ņem zīmuli un raksti!‎ ― take the pen and write!

   ņem medu ar karoti‎ ― take the honey with a spoon

   ņem ābolus no groza‎ ― take the apples from the basket

   ņemt nost cepuri‎ ― to take off (one's) hat

   ņemt griešanai asu nazi‎ ― to take a sharp knife for cutting

   ņemt grāmatu no bibliotēkas‎ ― to take a book from the library

   suns ņem kaulu zobos‎ ― the dog took the bone with (lit. in) (his) teeth

   Liene turēja roku izstieptu, bet Ernests vilcinājās paciņu ņemt‎ ― Liene kept her hand stretched, but Ernests hesitated to take the packet

   lūdzu, ņemiet vēl kādu konfekti!‎ ― please, take some more candy!

   karš spieda grāmatvedi ņemt rokās ieroci‎ ― war forced the accountat to take up arms (lit. to take a weapon in (his) hands)

2. to take (to accept, to enjoy)

   ņemt dāvanas‎ ― to take, accept presents

   ņemt kukuļus‎ ― to take, accept bribes

   ņemt naudu‎ ― to take, accept money

   ņemt atvaļinājumu‎ ― to take a vacation

   ņemt saules vannas‎ ― to take a sunbath

   laimi jau vajag mācēt ņemt, dārgā, neviens to mums klāt nenesis‎ ― we have to know how to take, seize happiness, dear, nobody is going to bring it to us

   viņš savu atvaļinājumu gribēja ņemt februāra beigās‎ ― he wanted to take his vacation at the end of February

   trīs pāri apakšbikšu esmu pašuvis... bet nezinu, cik ņemt maksas‎ ― three pairs of underpants I have sewn... but I don't know, how (much) to take (as) payment, price

   gaidīt un cerēt ir labi, / un rātni ir prasīt un lūgties; / labāk ir negaidīt daudz, / neprasīt, nelūgties: ņemt‎ ― to wait and to hope is good, / it is sensible to ask for and beg: / better is to not wait much, / to not ask, not beg: (just) take

3. to take (to cause someone to act in a certain way, to do a certain job; also, to hire someone, to put someone to work)

   ņemt meiteni dejot‎ ― to take a girl to dance

   ņemt apakšīrnieku‎ ― to take a subtenant (i.e., to sublet)

   ņemt palīgā‎ ― to take (someone) as help, to use (someone) in some work

   ņemt dzīvokļa remontam krāsotājus‎ ― to take (= hire) painters to rennovate the apartment

   es nau nezinu, vai mani ņems‎ ― I don't know if they will take (= hire) me

   gribot negribot bija jāņem zāģeri, lai sagriež dēļos‎ ― willingly or not, (they) had to take (= hire) a carpenter to cut the boards, planks

   gandrīz visos gājienos viņu ņēma par ceļvedi, un šo goda uzdevumu viņš uzņēmās labprāt‎ ― in almost all processions they took him as a guide, and this

   Marčuls zināja: šeit Randenē būs viņa pēdējais darbs... citur neviens vairs neņems baltu veci neveiklām rokām‎ ― Marčuls knew: his last work would be here, in Randene... elsewhere nobody will take a white (= gray) old man with clumsy hands

   mēs ņemam talkā matemātiku... visu, ko var pastāstīt medicīniskie dokumenti, pārtulkojam skaitļu valodā‎ ― we took mathematics to the rescue (= used mathematics to solve the problem)... we translated everything that the medical documents could tell into the language of numbers

4. to take (to put someone in a certain situation, condition)

   ņemt aizbildnība, aizgādnība, glabāšanā‎ ― to take into custody

   ņemt gūstā‎ ― to take into captivity

   tu ņēmi mani savā aizsardzībā un aizstāvēji‎ ― you took me under your protection and defended (me)

5. to take (to call for duty)

   ņemt armijā, karā‎ ― to take (someone) into the army, to war

   vienīgos dēlus neņēma kara dienestā‎ ― (they) didn't take only sons to military service

6. to take (to marry)

   ņemt skaistu līgavu‎ ― to take (= marry) a beautiful bride

   ņemt vīru‎ ― to take a husband

   tu gan esi briesmīgi smuks, Belamī; varbūt tu mani par seivu ņemsi?‎ ― you are terribly handsome, Belamī; maybe you'll take me as your wife?

7. (in combination with līdzi) to take along (to cause something, someone to go or be somewhere together with oneself)

   ņēmt ceļojumā līdzi mugursomu‎ ― to take a backpack along to the trip

   vienmēr ņēmt līdzi pulksteni‎ ― to always take along (one's) watch

   man te nepatīk; ņem mani līdzi!‎ ― I don't like it here; take me with (you)!

   ņēmt bērnus līdzi tūristu pārgājienā‎ ― to take the children along in a tourist trip

8. to take, to get (to obtain something for a certain purpose, use; to learn, to hear about something)

   nezināt, kur ņemt naudu‎ ― to not know where to take money (from)

   ņemt citātus no dažādu autoru darbiem‎ ― to take quotes from the works of several authors

   kādu audumu ņemsi mētelim?‎ ― which fabric will you take (= use) for the coat?

   bērniem vajag skolas, apģērba, kur to visu lai ņem?‎ ― children need school, clothes, where are you going to take (= get) all that?

   bet pasakiet, kur lai mēs ņemam skolotājus?‎ ― but tell (me), where should we take (= get, find, hire) teachers?

   kur tu esi ņēmusi tādas tenkas?‎ ― where did you take (= hear) such gossip (from)?

   Annele nevar saprast, kur Lulīte ņem tādus nedzirdētus vārdus‎ ― Annele cannot understand where Lulīte takes (= finds, hears) such unheard(-of) words

9. to take (to get, to obtain, to acquire, to borrow, to buy)

   ņemt grāmatas no bibliotēkā‎ ― to take books from the library

   ņemt kinoteātrī biļeti pēdējā rindā‎ ― to take (= get, buy) movie tickets in the last row

   ņemt piena produktus tuvējā veikalā‎ ― to take (= get, buy) dairy products in a nearby shop

   ņemt restorānā dažādus ēdienus‎ ― to take (= buy, have) several dishes in a restaurant

   kur tu ņemi tik skaistu drānu?‎ ― where did you take (= get, buy) such beautiful cloth?

10. to take (to gather fruits, grains, the harvest)

    jā, rudens klāt; jau mātes ņem kāpostus‎ ― yes, autumn has arrived; mothers are already taking (= gathering) cabbage

    pēc skolas gāju pie saimniekiem ravēt cukurbietes, tad sienu grābt, kartupeļus ņemt‎ ― after school I went to the farmers to weet the beets, then to rake in hay (and) take (= gather, harvest) potatoes

11. to take (to remove a part of, to work on, to make by removing; also figuratively, about people)

    ņemt platu vālu (pļaujot)‎ ― to take a wide swath (while mowing, reaping, harvesting)

    vālu ņem tik platu, cik izkapts atļauj‎ ― take as wide a swath as the scythe will let you

    šis arkls ņem šaurāku vagu‎ ― this plow takes (= makes) a narrower furrow

    vienu dienu centrā pie ciemata aparu zemi nākamajam parkam... dziļi tur bija jāņem: četrdesmit, četrdesmit pieci centrimetri‎ ― one day at the center by the village I plowed the land for the future park... (I) had to take (= work it) (really) deep: forty, forty-five centimeters

    cilvēki nāca pie viņa un asos vārdos pārmeta, ka viņš esot par daudz mīksti ņēmis baronu, vajadzējis tūlīt vakarā prasīt atbildi‎ ― people came to him and complained with sharp words that he had taken (= treated) the baron too softly, (he) should have demanded an immediate answer, that (same) evening

12. to take (to shoot, to kill someone, to “take someone out”)

    “ES ņemšu malējo, lai tas neielec krūmos”, Līdaka pačukstēja Amatniekam, kas jau bija sagatavojies šaušanai‎ ― “I will take (= shoot) the one (German soldier) further away, so that he doesn't jump into the bushes,” the Pike whispered to the Craftsman, who was ready to shoot

13. (in combination with a verb) used to reinforce the intensity or suddenness of the action; to up and...

    ņemt un izdarīt‎ ― to up and do it

    ņemt aiziet uz teātri‎ ― to up and go to the theater

    viņš ņēma un pateica visu‎ ― he up and said everything

    tā ir pirmā reize, kad Valdis ņēmis viņu nopēlis, līdz šim viņš uz meiteni skatījies gandrīz ar apbrīnu‎ ― this is the first time that Valdis up and (= really) gave her a reprimand, up until then he had rather looked at the girl with admiration

14. to take, to consider, to treat, to accept (something as something)

    ņemt dzīvi tādu, kāda tā ir‎ ― to take life as it is

    ņemt ļaunā, par ļaunu‎ ― to take (something) badly (= to be offended)

    ņemt par labu‎ ― to take (something) well (= to consider it good)

    ņemt viegli‎ ― to take (something) lightly

    ņemt nopietni‎ ― to take (something) seriously

    juridiski ņemot‎ ― juridically taking (= speaking)

    vienu istabu ierīkoju par savu buduāru, ņemdama paraugam Laines istabu‎ ― I will decorate one room as my boudoir, taking as example Laine's room

    vispār ņemot, dzīvnieku valodai piemīt sugu specifika: līdzīgs sazinās ar līdzīgu‎ ― generally speaking (= taking), animal language is essentially about the specific: similar is connected to similar

    vai tā bija laime? jā, protams; visu savu dzīvi kopā ņemot, viņš nevarēja to nosaukt citādi kā par laimīgu‎ ― was that happiness? yes, of course; taking all life together (= into account), he could not call it anything but happy

15. (of animals, especially fish) to take, to get and eat; to bite

    labi zināms: dienas vidu līdakas neņem‎ ― (it is) well known: in the middle of the day, pikes don't bite

    vasarā bija daudz zivju, bet tagad rudenī mēs braucam ar velci, un mūsu vizulīti neņem neviena pati‎ ― at the creek in summer there were many fish, but now in autumn we go with a draging pen, and not one (of the fish) takes (= bites) our little bait

16. (colloquial, of sharp tools) to cut

    Uģis atvāza savu kabatas nazi un pārbaudīja asmeni... “ņems labi”, nosprieda‎ ― Uģis opened his pocket knife and examined the blade... “it will take (= cut) well,” he thought

    šķembu bojāts zāģis vairs nav uzasināms, jo vīle tādus zobus neņem‎ ― the saw damaged by splinters can no longer be sharpened, because the file won't take (= sharpen) such teeth

    jaunais vīles pirms lietošas vienmēr ieberzējamas ar krītu vai koka ogli, lai tās sākumā tik asi neņemtu‎ ― new files before being used are always rubbed with chalk or charcoal, so that they don't take (= cut) so sharply at first (use)

17. (often with nost) to take away (to cause someone to lose something)

    karš pirmo dēlu ņēma mātei; no frontes nāca nāves ziņa‎ ― the war took mother's first son; the news of (his) death came rom the front

    cilvēks visu var aizliegt, visu var aizturēt, bet ne domāšanu, jo tad jāņem pati dzīvība papriekšu‎ ― you can prohibit everything, stop everyghing, but not thought, because then you have to take life (= kill) before (you can do that)

    Marga ir mana tēva drauga meita; bet viņa tev Hariju nost neņems, viņai ir līgavainis‎ ― Marga is my father's friend's daughter; but she will not take Harry away (from) you, she (already) has a fiancé

18. (dated) to take a path, road, direction, to set off in some direction

    Antiņš ņēma ceļu uz māju taisni pār purvu‎ ― Antiņš took path (= set off toward) home straight across the swamp

    droši vien prātīgāk būtu uzreiz ņemt uz dienvidiem un tādā veidā saīsināt ceļu‎ ― it would probably be wiser to just take (= set off, go) south and thus shorten the way

Conjugation

Synonyms

• grābt
• tvert

Derived terms

prefixed verbs:

other derived terms:

• ņemties

References

1. ↑ Karulis, Konstantīns (1992), “ņemt”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, ISBN 9984-700-12-7