zāģēt

From the same stem as zāģis (“saw”), made into a 2nd-conjugation transitive verb (ending -ēt).^[1]

• IPA^(key):

This entry needs an audio pronunciation. If you are a native speaker with a microphone, please record this word. The recorded pronunciation will appear here when it's ready.

zāģēt (transitive, 2nd conjugation, present zāģēju, zāģē, zāģē, past zāģēju)

1. to saw (to cut something with a saw; to work with a saw, also with a special saw)

   viņš neprot zāģēt ― he doesn't know how to saw

   zāģēt visu dienu ― to saw the whole day

   zāģēt malku, baļķus, dēļus ― to saw (fire)wood, logs, boards

   zāģēt mežā kokus ― to saw trees in the forest

   zāģēt nost liepām lielos zarus ― to saw off big branches from lime trees

   zāģēt āzim ragus ― to saw a goat's horns

   “zāģis izvīlēts; ko tad nu darīs?” “ej un zāģē klēts galā tos ošus nost” ― “the saw (is) sharpened; what will (= should) one do now?” “go and saw down those ash-trees at the end of the barn”

2. to play (usually string instrument) very ineptly, producing unpleasant sounds

   Baha un Vivaldi šedevrus spēlējot, puisis vaibstījās... vienaldzīgi zāģēdams stīgas ― playing Bach and Vivaldi masterpieces, the boy was making faces... indifferently sawing the strings

3. (figuratively) to make unpleasant sounds (of animals); to snore

   pļaviņā zāģēja grieze ― in the meadow a corncrake (bird) was sawing

   kaut kur nomalē dzird ēzeļa žēlās gaudas; zāģē kā ar zāģēšanu ― somewhere in the area one (could) hear a donkey's lamenting wails; it sawed (= brayed) like (real) sawing

   uz brīdi pārstāja krākt, bet nu jau zāģē atkal ― for a second he stopped snoring, but now he is sawing (= snoring) again

   gulēt kopā ar Ingu bija gatavās mokas: tas ne tikai zāģēja un šņākuļoja, bet novilka viņai visu segu ― to sleep with Inga was a real torture: she not only sawed (= snored) and hissed (all the time), but also pulled the whole blanket off (to herself)

4. (colloquial) to blame, to complain all the time

   sieva Lavīze arvien vēl zāģēja veco par postu, kas viņus piemeklējis ― the wife, Lavīze, still sawed (= complained to, blamed) the old one (= husband) for the misery that had befallen them

   mani sieva zāģē vienā zāģēšanā, ka mežacūkām kartupeļus grūžot iekšā! ― (my) wife saws (= blames, complains to) me in one sawing (= all the time), the way one shoves potatoes into a wild pig!

5. (colloquial) to harm, to persecute, to make trouble for someone

   internāta pārzine tagad tevi zāģēs ilgu laiku ― the school board will now saw (= persecute) you for quite a while

• (of "to snore"): krākt

prefixed verbs:

other derived terms

• zāģētava

• zāģis