varēt

See also: varet and våret

Latvian

Etymology

From the same stem as vara (power; authority; violence), made into a third conjugation verb (ending -ēt (perhaps via a no longer extant verb *vert, of which varēt could be the iterative or durative form).[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [vaɾɛ̂ːt]

Verb

varēt tr., 3rd conj., pres. varu, vari, var, past varēju

  1. can; to be able to (to have the mental or physical capacity to do something, to react in a certain way)
    varēt staigāt, runātto be able to walk, to talk
    varēt atcerētiesto be able to remember
    vai tu vari paiet?can you go/walk?
    tikko varēt pavilkt elputo be barely able to breathe
    zirgs var pavilkt vezumuthe horse can, is able to pull the cart
    ko tur var darītwhat can (you) do there (= nothing can be done)
    neko nevar darīt(you) can't do anything (= nothing can be done)
    palīdzu arī Baumanim darbā, kur vien varuI help also Baumanis at work, wherever I can
    tās bija svešādas dziesmas, kuras viņš nevarēja atklausītiesthese were strange songs that he couldn't listen to very long
    viss dzīvais var pielāgoties vides apstākļiemall living (beings) can, are able to adapt to environmental conditions
  2. (of objects, phenomena) can, to be able to (to have properties that make a certain activity or function possible)
    automobilis var attīstīt lielu ātrumuthe automobile can reach high speed
  3. (of situations, usually 3rd person) to be possible, to succeed in
    ēst, dzert varone can eat, drink it (= it is edible, drinkable)
    mēli var izmežģītit can test the tongue (= it is difficult to say, to pronounce)
    vai es kaut reizi esot padomājis, ka Beātei no manis varētu bērns būt?did I ever imagine that Beāte could have a child from me?
    Alberts lēni izdzēra glāzi; šis konjaks nebija no labākajiem, bet dzert varējaAlberts drank slowly (from) the glass; this cognac was not one of the best, but one could drink it
  4. (usually drīkstēt) may, be allowed to, have permission for
    “vai mēs ar Gunāru varam iet kājām?” Klāvs prasa tēvocimcan (= may) Gunārs and I go on foot?” Klāvs asks his uncle
    vienam bērnam ieteicams sauļoties, otrs turpretī nedrīkst; viens var peldēties, cits nēone child is allowed to tan, while the other is not; one can (= may) swim, the other (can't)

Conjugation

Synonyms

Derived terms

References

  1. Karulis, Konstantīns (1992), vara”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN
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