gribēt

From Proto-Baltic *greyb-, *grib-, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreyb-, *gʰrib- (“to grab, to grasp”) (from its parallel variant *gʰrebʰ- comes Latvian grābt (“to grasp, to grip, to rake”), q.v.), from a root *gʰer- (“to grasp, to grip”) with an extra -(y)b. The semantic evolution apparently was “to seize, to grab” > “to be about to, to want to (seize, grab)” > “to want.” Cognates include Lithuanian griẽbti, dialectal greĩbti (“to seize, to grasp, to grab”), Gothic 𐌲𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍀𐌰𐌽 (greipan), Old High German grifan, German greifen, English grip.^[1]

• IPA^(key):

• Audio:

  (file)

gribēt (transitive, 3rd conjugation, present gribu, gribi, grib, past gribēju)

1. to want (to feel the need for something, to desire something)

   gribēt ēst, dzert ― to be hungry, thirsty (lit. to want to eat, to drink)

   gribēt strādāt, mācīties ― to want to work, to study

   bērns grib gulēt ― the child wants to sleep

   dara, ko grib ― (he) does what (he) wants

   gribot negribot ― wanting, not wanting (= willy-nilly)

   negribēt (ne) dzirdēt ― not (even) want to hear (= to be categorically against)

   visas tautas grib mieru, grib celt jaunus namus, dēstīt dārzus ― all peoples want peace, (they) want to build new houses, to plant gardens

2. to want (to intend, to plan)

   Ozols gribēja Vili iepazīstin

   viņš grib līdz vakaram pabeigt iesākto darbu ― he wants to finish the work (he) started by evening

3. (colloquial) to want (to be able to (in a given situation), to be about to)

   mitrā malka negribēja degt ― the wet firewood didn't want to (= couldn't, wouldn't) burn

   gribēju izdarīt lielu kļūdu ― I wanted (= was about) to make a big mistake

   skapis gandrīz gribēja apgāzties ― the cupboard almost wanted (= was likely) to fall over

   tik liels un pieaudzis viņš ilgos gados bija kļuvis, ka Pelašķiene to pirmajā mirklī lāgā pazīt negribēja ― (in, during) many years he had grown so big that Pelašķiene at first didn't quite want to (= couldn't quite) recognize him

• vēlēties

• griba