trūkt

Latvian

Etymology

From Proto-Baltic *trūk-, from the same Proto-Indo-European stem *trewk-, *trūk- as Latvian traukt (“to rush, to speed, to sweep”) (q.v.). Cognates include Lithuanian trū́kti. Corresponding to the older meaning of traukt: “to jerk, to pull, to pluck,” the meaning of trūkt was at first “to be pulled, plucked,” and then “to break, to creak, to split (off)” — still an extant, albeit unfrequent, meaning, and also the basis of the meaning of many derived verbs: iztrūkt (“to come off (knob, button)”), notrūkt (“to come, tear off”), pārtrūkt (“to break, to burst, to snap”), satrūkties (“to start, to jump”), uztrūkties (“to start”) —, and finally “to not be there, to be less (than necessary), to lack,” which is the basis for pietrūkt (“to be, run short of”), iztrūkums (“deficit, shortage”).

Pronunciation

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Verb

trūkt (intransitive + dative, 1st conjugation, only 3rd person, present trūkst, past trūka)

1. to lack, to be in short supply, to not be available

   trūkst laika, naudas ― there is little or no time, money

   trūkst telpu ― there is little or no space

   darba netrūkst ― there is no lack of work

   mums netrūkst nekā ― we lack nothing

   telpā trūkst gaisa ― in the room there is little or no air

   slimniekam trūkst elpas ― the patient is short of breath

   uzturā trūkst vitamīnu ― in (this) diet vitamins are lacking

2. (of body parts) to lack (to have lost, amputated)

   tēva labajai rokai trūka divu pirkstu ― (my) father's right hand lacked two fingers

   Kristam trūka rokas līdz elkonim ― Krists lacked an arm (up) to the elbow

3. (of qualities, forces, knowledge) to lack, to not be enough

   par to mums trūkst ziņu ― we lack, have no news about that

   meitenei trūkst izglītības ― the girl lacks education

   aktierim trūkst talanta ― the actor lacks talent

   viņam trūkst pašapziņas, izdomas ― he lacks self-confidence, ingenuity

   viņam trūkst drosmes atzīties ― he lacks the courage to confess

   viņam trūkst pieredzes, zināšanu, meistarības ― he lacks experience, knowledge, skill

   viņam trūkst vārdu, lai izteiktu savu sajūsmu ― he lacks, has no words to express his delight

4. to miss, to be absent, to not be there

   klasē trūkst divu skolēnu ― in class two students are missing

   plauktā trūkst dažu grāmatu ― some books are missing on the shelf

   pie viņas bija vecā krustmāte, bija Marta, bija Aina, Vilma; trūka vienīgi Artūrs ― at her (house) were (her) old godmother, Marta, Aina, Vilma; only Artūrs was missing

   ja manis kur trūkst un tas trūkums netiek nomanīts, tad tas man pašam vislabāk, ka manis tur trūkst ― if I am absent somewhere and this absence is not noticed, then it is better to me that I am absent there

   tos trūkstošos trīsdesmit vai četrdesmit miljonus viņi man labprāt piešķirs ― the missing thirty or forty million they will give me willingly

5. to miss, to suffer because of the absence (of someone, something)

   ziedu un rūpju vidū man tevis trūks ― among the flowers and the concerns, I will miss you

   Augusts uzreiz sajuta, ka viņam trūkst sievas ― Augusts immediately felt that he was missing his wife

6. (of ropes, threads, lines, etc., often together with the adverb in two, asunder, apart, torn) to snap, to split in two parts under tension

   virve trūkst pušu ― the rope snaps

   pavediens mezglojas un trūkst ― the wire gets entangled and snaps

   savītas stieples tik ātri netrūks ― (inter)twined, wound wires won't snap so fast

   dzimtas sakari trūkst ka pakulu pavedieni ― family ties snap like tow fibers

Usage notes

Normally used in the third person, this verb takes at most two complements: in the genitive, that which is lacking; and, in the dative, the entity that lacks it. Man trūkst laika — I(dat.) lack, have no time(gen.).

Conjugation

Synonyms

• nebūt

Derived terms

prefixed verbs:

other derived terms:

References