Latvian

Noun

biedrs m (1st declension, feminine form: biedre or biedrene)

1. (male) colleague, mate, comrade (a person with whom one works, studies, together, e.g. as part of a group or team)

   darba biedrs‎ ― workmate

   cīņu biedrs‎ ― comrade-in-arms (lit. fight, struggle mate)

   klases biedrs, skolas biedrs‎ ― classmate, schoolmate

2. (male) companion, mate, fellow (a person with whom one spends time, travels, plays, lives)

   istabas biedrs‎ ― roommate

   ceļa biedrs, ceļabiedrs‎ ― fellow traveller

   sarunu biedrs‎ ― interlocutor (lit. conversation mate)

   dzīves biedrs, dzīvesbiedrs‎ ― husband, spouse (lit. life mate)

   laika biedrs, laikabiedrs‎ ― contemporary (lit. time mate)

   satikt bērnu dienu rotaļu biedru‎ ― to meet a childhood playmate

   Ceplis uzmeta zīmīgu skatienu pārējiem galda biedriem‎ ― Ceplis cast a significant look at (his) other table mates

3. (of organizations) (male) member, fellow

   (komunistiskās) partijas biedrs‎ ― (communist) party member

   arodbiedrības biedri‎ ― union members

   biedra karte‎ ― member(ship) card

   uzņemt jaunus biedrus organizācijā‎ ― to receive new members into the organization

   maksāt biedru naudu‎ ― to pay a membership fee

   goda biedrs, godabiedrs‎ ― honorary member

4. (dated, during Soviet occupation) (male) comrade (generic form of address to people with whom the speaker is not personally acquainted)

   godājamie biedri!‎ ― honorable comrades!

   sanāksmē piedalījās biedrs Alksnis‎ ― comrade Alksnis participated in the meeting

   biedrs profesors izteica interesantu priekšlikumu‎ ― comrade professor made an interesting proposal

Declension

Derived terms

• dzīvesbiedrs, dzīves biedrs

References

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