Latvian

Adjective

zems (def. zemais, comp. zemāks, sup. viszemākais; irreg. adv. zemu, zemi)

1. low, short (having relatively little distance from top to bottom; having low height)

   zems sols, galds‎ ― low bench, table

   zema gulta, sēta‎ ― low bed, fence

   zems pakalns‎ ― low hill

   zemi pakāpieni‎ ― low stairs

   zābaki ar zemiem papēžiem‎ ― boots with low heels

   saimniece ir zema un kupla kā tējas rožu krūms‎ ― the landlady is short and round like a tea rose bush

   durvis šķūnim bija zemas; izejot vajadzēja stipri saliekties‎ ― the barn door was low; (when) going out, (one) had to bend

2. low (having lower height than the average individual of its type)

   zemais bērzs‎ ― low birch tree

   zemie ķirši‎ ― low cherry trees

   vairums mūsu kultūras ābeļu cēlušās no Dienvideiropā augošās zemās ābeles‎ ― most of our cultures of apple trees have developed from low apple trees (that) grow in Southern Europe

3. low (located relatively close to the floor, or to the ground, a surface of water, etc.)

   klēts ar zemām sijām‎ ― a barn with low beams

   pāri jūrai uz krasta pusi nāca zemi mākoņi‎ ― over the sea, from the coast side, low clouds were coming

4. low (located close to the horizon)

   zemā ziemas saule auksti spīdēja starp kokiem‎ ― the low winter sun shone coldly between the trees

5. low (situated at a leve below that of the rest of the landscape)

   zema pļava‎ ― low meadow

   kad pāriet pār upi, sākas zems, sīkiem alkšņiem klāts līdzenums‎ ― when one goes across the river, (there) starts a low plain, covered with small alder trees

6. low, small, not important; not reaching the normal level

   zems piena izslaukums‎ ― low milk yield

   zemas cenas‎ ― low prices

   zems spiediens‎ ― low pressure

   zems strāvas spriegums‎ ― low voltage (lit. low current tension)

   zema temperatūra‎ ― low temperature

   zems gaisa mitrums‎ ― low air humidity

   zems prestižs‎ ― low prestige

   zema kvalitāte‎ ― low quality

   zema dienesta pakāpe‎ ― low service level

   zemas prasības‎ ― low requirements

   matrožiem un citiem kuģa strādniekiem ir zemas algas‎ ― the sailors and other ship workers have low wages

7. low (not satisfying certain requirements or expectations)

   zems kultūras līmenis‎ ― low level of culture

   zems dzīves līmenis‎ ― low level of life

   zema iglītība‎ ― low education

   priekšsēdētājs runā par zemu darba disciplīnu‎ ― the president is talking about the low level of discipline

8. (of people) low (not having an respectable or important position in society, at work, etc.)

   zems amats‎ ― low (= unimportant) office, position

   zemas kārtas ļaudis‎ ― low class people

   uz Ģertrūdes ielas es panācu pusmūža vīrieti, kādu zemu ierēdni‎ ― on Ģertrūde street I met a middle-aged man, some low official

9. low, shallow, unworthy, unimportant

   mana dzīve, tu to par seklu nosauci, par zemu‎ ― my life, you call it shallow, low

   prāts lai zemākās lietas šķir, augstās šķir likteņa iegriba!‎ ― let the mind resolve the lower things, the higher ones will be resolved by the caprices of fate

10. low (not respectful; not following accepted norms)

    “zemā stila” vārdi‎ ― low style words

11. (music, notes, voices) low, deep (having sounds from the lower octaves)

    zemais alts‎ ― low alto

    zemais do‎ ― low do (= low C)

    viņai bija zema un klusa balss‎ ― she had a deep, quiet voice

    dziedot zemās skaņas krūšu reģistrā, dziedātājam vispirms jābūt sajūtai, ka skaņa it kā rodas un atbalsojas krūtīs‎ ― (when) singing in the low=sound chest register, the singer must first have the feeling that the sound arises and echoes in (his) chest

12. low (expressing the opinion that something is low, shallow, unworthy, unimportant)

    zems novērtējums‎ ― low estimation, opinion

    novērtēt pretinieku par zemu, tas vienmēr is bīstami‎ ― to evaluate an opponent as low (= unimportant), this is always dangerous

13. low, dishonest, cruel, immoral, ignoble; expressing such qualities

    zems cilvēks‎ ― low, immoral person

    zemi nodomi‎ ― low, immoral intentions

    zema rīcība‎ ― low, immoral action

    tu esi zems cilvēks, Fēlikss Vilde; gļēvulis un blēdis‎ ― you are a low person, Fēlikss Vilde; a coward and a swindler

    tad nāca cieti, zemi, nežēlīgi, tumsas aizklāti vārdi‎ ― then came hard, low, cruel, darkness-covered words

Declension

Antonyms

• augsts

Derived terms

• zemisks, zemiskums
• zemūdene
• zemums
• zemup

Related terms

• zem
• zeme

See also

• leja, lejā, lejup

References

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