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]

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Verb

varēt (transitive, 3rd conjugation, present varu, vari, var, past varēju)

can; to be able to (to have the mental or physical capacity to do something, to react in a certain way)
varēt staigāt, runāt ― to be able to walk, to talk

varēt atcerēties ― to be able to remember

vai tu vari paiet? ― can you go/walk?

tikko varēt pavilkt elpu ― to be barely able to breathe

zirgs var pavilkt vezumu ― the horse can, is able to pull the cart

ko tur var darīt ― what 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 varu ― I help also Baumanis at work, wherever I can

tās bija svešādas dziesmas, kuras viņš nevarēja atklausīties ― these were strange songs that he couldn't listen to very long

viss dzīvais var pielāgoties vides apstākļiem ― all living (beings) can, are able to adapt to environmental conditions
(of objects, phenomena) can, to be able to (to have properties that make a certain activity or function possible)
automobilis var attīstīt lielu ātrumu ― the automobile can reach high speed
(of situations, usually 3rd person) to be possible, to succeed in
ēst, dzert var ― one can eat, drink it (= it is edible, drinkable)

mēli var izmežģīt ― it 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 varēja ― Alberts drank slowly (from) the glass; this cognac was not one of the best, but one could drink it
(usually drīkstēt) may, be allowed to, have permission for
“vai mēs ar Gunāru varam iet kājām?” Klāvs prasa tēvocim ― “can (= may) Gunārs and I go on foot?” Klāvs asks his uncle

vienam bērnam ieteicams sauļoties, otrs turpretī nedrīkst; viens var peldēties, cits nē ― one child is allowed to tan, while the other is not; one can (= may) swim, the other (can't)

Conjugation

Conjugation of **varēt**
	indicative (īstenības izteiksme)					imperative (pavēles izteiksme)
		present (tagadne)	past (pagātne)		future (nākotne)	imperative (pavēles izteiksme)
1st person sg	es	varu	varēju		varēšu	—
2nd person sg	tu	vari	varēji		varēsi	vari
3rd person sg	viņš, viņa	var	varēja		varēs	lai var
1st person pl	mēs	varam	varējām		varēsim	varēsim
2nd person pl	jūs	varat	varējāt		varēsiet, varēsit	variet
3rd person pl	viņi, viņas	var	varēja		varēs	lai var

renarrative (atstāstījuma izteiksme)				participles (divdabji)
present	varot			present active 1 (adj.)		varošs
past	esot varējis			present active 2 (adv.)		varēdams
future	varēšot			present active 3 (adv.)		varot
imperative	lai varot			present active 4 (obj.)		varam
conditional (vēlējuma izteiksme)				past active		varējis
present	varētu			present passive		varams
past	būtu varējis			past passive		varēts
debitive (vajadzības izteiksme)				nominal forms
indicative	(būt) jāvar			infinitive (nenoteiksme)		varēt
conjunctive 1	esot jāvar			negative infinitive		nevarēt
conjunctive 2	jāvarot			verbal noun		varēšana

Synonyms

(of "to be able to"): spēt
(of "to be allowed to"): drīkstēt

Derived terms

Related terms

vara
varonis, varone

References

^ Karulis, Konstantīns (1992) “vara”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca‎^[1] (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN

[1] Karulis, Konstantīns (1992) “vara”, in Latviešu Etimoloģijas Vārdnīca‎^[1] (in Latvian), Rīga: AVOTS, →ISBN

[1]