lasīt

Originally the iterative form (with ablaut) of an earlier verb lest, used with respect to birds (“to pick with one's beak”; cf. Lithuanian lèsti, and the related lēst “to calculate”), from Proto-Baltic *les-tei, *lest-ti, from Proto-Indo-European *les- (“to pick, to gather”), perhaps derived from the stem *el- (“to bend”), via a meaning such as “to pick (something) while bending down.” The later meaning “to read” came by analogy to German lesen, which has both meanings, itself also influenced by Latin legō (“to read; to collect, to gather”). A simultaneous change in case marking also occurred: from lasīt grāmatā burtus “to pick/read letters in a book” (like lasīt mežā ogas “to pick berries in the forest”) to lasīt grāmatā “to read in a book” and finally lasīt grāmatu “to read a book,” with the accusative form grāmatu of grāmata “book.” Cognates include Lithuanian lasýti (“to pick berries, mushrooms”), Gothic 𐌻𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌽 (lisan), Old High German lësan (“to pick up, to gather”), German lesen (“to pick (grapes); to read”), Hittite (/⁠lis-⁠/), (/⁠les-⁠/, “to pick (from somewhere)”).^[1]

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lasīt (transitive, 3rd conjugation, present lasu, lasi, lasa, past lasīju)

1. to read (to perceive and understand written language, a word, sentence, text, etc.)

   prast lasīt un rakstīt ― to know how to read and write

   lasīt par arhitektūru ― to read about architecture

   lasīt daiļliteratūru ― to read fiction

   lasīt avīzes ― to read newspapers

   lasīt romānu, dzejoli ― to read a novel

   lasīt rakstu žurnālā ― to read an article in a magazine

   lasīt paziņojumu, uzrakstu ― to read a statement, an inscription

   lasīt ēdienu karti ― to read the menu

   lasīt balsī, skaļi ― to read aloud

   lasīt priekšā ― to read aloud (to an audience)

   viņš daudz lasa ― he reads a lot

   esmu lasījis, ka salas esot ļoti skaistas ― I have read that the islands are very beautiful

   vēstuli vajadzēja lasīt divas reizes ― one has to read the letter twice

   vai viņš arī patiesi lasīja vai tik grāmatā skatījās, tas nav zināms ― whether he really was reading or only looking at the book was not clear

   Ģirts lasa medicīniskajās grāmatās nodaļas par galvas traumām ― Ģirts is reading the chapter on head injuries in the medical book

   Kad zēnu aizveda uz skolu, viņš jau brīvi lasīja un rēķināja ― when they (first) sent the boy to school, he (could) already read and do math well

2. to read (to understand the meaning of symbols, signs, pictures, plans, etc.)

   lasīt rasējumu ― to read the blueprints

   lasīt notis, partitūru ― to read notes (or sheet music), a (musical) score

   lasīt pēdas sniegā ― to read footprints in the snow

   prast lasīt jūras kartes ― to know how to read nautical charts

   lasīt starp rindām ― to read between the lines (i.e. to understand the implied, but not overtly expressed, meaning of a text)

3. to read (to sense, to perceive through its external manifestations) (of mental states)

   lasīt domas ― to read (or guess) (someone's) thoughts

   lasīt dvēselē, sirdī ― to read in (someone's) soul, heart (i.e. to understand someone's feelings)

   es lasu viņa sejā nožēlu un to, ka viņš jūtas ļoti nepatīkami ― I read the regret in his face, and the fact that he feels very uncomfortable

4. to read, to lecture (to express, to communicate, to explain (a topic) in a lecture, presentation, etc.; to teach a topic (e.g., at a university)) (of topics, subjects)

   lasīt leksikogrāfiju ― to teach (lit. read) lexicography

   etnogrāfijas kurss Latvijas Universitātē līdz 1938. gadam netika lasīts ― the ethnography course of the University of Latvia was not taught (lit. read) until 1938

   pašlaik dzejnieks jau lasa lekciju universitātē par mūsdienu kritikas jautājumiem ― the poet currently reads lectures (or teaches) at the university on contemporary issues of criticism

   man patiesībā ir neērti, jums te lasīt sprediķi ― I am actually embarrassed to be preaching (lit. reading) you a sermon

   “Tēt, lūdzu, tikai nelasi lekciju!” Rita iesaucas ― “dad, please, just don't preach (lit. read a lecture),” Rita exclaims

5. to read, to recite (to read aloud, following the meter and rhyme) (of poems)

   aktieri lasīja dzeju ― the actors read (or recited) poetry

   Lidija Freimane vācu skatītājiem viņu dzimtajā valodā lasīja Plūdoņa “Atraitnes dēlu” ― Lidija Freimane read (or recited) Plūdonis' “The Widow's Son” to the German audience in their native language (i.e. in German)

6. to pick, to collect, by plucking or from the ground, usually one at a time

   lasīt ogas, sēnes ― to pick berries, mushrooms

   lasīt nokritušos ābolus ― to pick the fallen apples

   lasīt mežā žagarus ― to pick, gather twigs in the forest

   māte lasīs mežā sēnes ― mother will pick mushrooms in the forest

   viņa lasīja zālītes un saknes, ar ko ārstēt slimniekus ― she picked (or collected) herbs and roots with which (she could) treat the sick

   pēcpusdienā puikas lasa nokritušās ozola zīles ― in the afternoon the boys gathered the fallen acorns

   strazdi un zvirbuļi staigā turpat aiz mums un lasa sliekas un kukainīšus ― the starlings and sparrows walk right behind us and pick earthworms and little insects

7. to pick from, to take out of (somewhere), usually one at a time

   lasīt ārā graudus no pelavām ― to pick, take the grains (of wheat) from the chaff

   lasīt no kastes lielākos ābolus ― to pick, take the biggest apples from the crate

   lasīt grozā ābolus ― to pick apples (and put them) in a basket

   lasīt kartupeļus maisā ― to pick potatoes (from the ground and put them) in a bag

   es lasīju no viņas matiem nobirušos ziedus ― I picked the flowers that had fallen on her hair

8. (rare) to gather, to collect

   mana māte mazgāja buržujiem veļu un grīdas, lasīja pa pagalmiem lupatas, kaulus, pudeles, vecas kalošas ― my mother washed the bourgeois' clothes and floor, (and) collected rags, bones, bottles (and) old footwear from the courtyards

9. (rare) to gather (people)

   (viņš) kopā lasa pulku ― (he) gathers the regiment together

• rakstīt

prefixed verbs:

other derived terms:

• lasītājs, lasītāja
• lasīties