diena

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day, daytime, day, date, day
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/ˈdiɛna/
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A daylight stretch, a calendar unit, a day-based modifier, and in plural use a span of life or historical time.

Examples

  • Viņa atgriezās pulksten trijos dienā.
    She returned at three in the afternoon.
  • Dzimšanas diena šogad iekrīt sestdienā.
    Her birthday falls on a Saturday this year.
  • Avīze bija pazīstama kā dienas laikraksts.
    The newspaper was known as a daily paper.
  • Viņš vecumā mierīgi vadīja savas dienas.
    In old age he spent his days peacefully.
  • Muzejs piedāvā dienas ekskursiju ģimenēm.
    The museum offers a day tour for families.

Similar words

dzīve
gaismas periods
gaiša diena
laiks
dienas laiks
kalendāra diena
mūžs
laikmets
diennakts
datums

Meanings

Daylight part of the day

noun
everyday
neutral
The bright part of the daily cycle, from morning or sunrise until evening.

Usage

Use diena when the contrast is with nakts, especially for daylight, daytime work, or something happening in the afternoon.

Examples

  • Īsā ziemas diena ātri satumsa.
    The short winter day grew dark quickly.
  • Vasarā dienas ir garas un gaišas.
    Days are long and bright in summer.
  • Viņa atgriezās pulksten trijos dienā.
    She returned at three in the afternoon.
  • Pa dienu līča malā pūta silts vējš.
    A warm wind blew by the bay during the day.
  • Pēc lietus dienas gaisma kļuva maigāka.
    After the rain, the daylight became softer.

Common mistakes

The locative dienā is needed for times within the day, and nakts is not a substitute for daylight.
IncorrectCorrect
Vasarā nakts ir gara un gaiša. Vasarā diena ir gara un gaiša.
Es atnācu trijos dienu. Es atnācu trijos dienā.
Pa dienu ir tumša nakts. Pa dienu ir gaišs.

Similar words

Calendar day or date

noun
time
neutral
A unit of time counted as one day, including dates, weekdays, anniversaries, and deadlines.

Usage

Use diena for calendar counting and named dates, while diennakts is clearer when the exact 24-hour cycle matters.

Examples

  • Sanāksme notiks nākamajā dienā.
    The meeting will take place on the next day.
  • Nedēļā ir septiņas dienas.
    There are seven days in a week.
  • Biļetes jāpērk vismaz vienu dienu iepriekš.
    Tickets must be bought at least one day in advance.
  • Dzimšanas diena šogad iekrīt sestdienā.
    Her birthday falls on a Saturday this year.
  • Šī bija svarīga diena komandai.
    This was an important day for the team.

Common mistakes

Plural agreement after numbers and the accusative after duration words are the usual problem in this sense.
IncorrectCorrect
Nedēļā ir septiņas diena. Nedēļā ir septiņas dienas.
Sanāksme notiks nākamā diena. Sanāksme notiks nākamajā dienā.
Biļetes jāpērk vienas dienas iepriekš. Biļetes jāpērk vienu dienu iepriekš.

Similar words

Daytime or daily modifier

noun
administrative
neutral
The genitive form used before another noun to show that something happens during the day, is meant for daytime use, or is allotted per day.

Usage

Use dienas before another noun in fixed combinations such as dienas stacionārs or dienas nauda.

Examples

  • Slimnīcā atvēra jaunu dienas stacionāru.
    The hospital opened a new day clinic.
  • Bērns palika pagarinātās dienas grupā.
    The child stayed in the extended day group.
  • Komandējumā izmaksāja dienas naudu.
    A daily allowance was paid on the business trip.
  • Avīze bija pazīstama kā dienas laikraksts.
    The newspaper was known as a daily paper.
  • Muzejs piedāvā dienas ekskursiju ģimenēm.
    The museum offers a day tour for families.

Common mistakes

The modifier is dienas, not dienu, before nouns like stacionārs, nauda, and laikraksts.
IncorrectCorrect
Slimnīcā atvēra jaunu dienu stacionāru. Slimnīcā atvēra jaunu dienas stacionāru.
Komandējumā izmaksāja dienu naudu. Komandējumā izmaksāja dienas naudu.
Nakts stacionārs strādā tikai pa dienu. Dienas stacionārs strādā tikai pa dienu.

Similar words

Period of life or times

noun
life
literary
A stretch of personal life, hardship, youth, or an era, usually in plural expressions.

Usage

Use dienas in set phrases such as mūsu dienās and no mazām dienām, where English often says times, childhood, or life.

Examples

  • Viņš vecumā mierīgi vadīja savas dienas.
    In old age he spent his days peacefully.
  • Mūsu dienās ceļošana ir daudz vienkāršāka.
    Travel is much easier in our times.
  • No mazām dienām viņa mīlēja grāmatas.
    She loved books from her earliest days.
  • Grūtās dienās ģimene turējās kopā.
    The family held together in difficult days.
  • Dienās viņš kļuva par prasmīgu meistaru.
    In time, he became a skilled master.

Common mistakes

This sense normally needs plural forms such as dienās or dienas, not the singular diena.
IncorrectCorrect
Mūsu dienā ceļošana ir vienkārša. Mūsu dienās ceļošana ir vienkārša.
No mazai dienai viņa mīlēja grāmatas. No mazām dienām viņa mīlēja grāmatas.
Viņš vadīja savu dienu vecumā. Viņš vadīja savas dienas vecumā.

Similar words

Usage

Use diena for daylight, a calendar day, or fixed day-based expressions, and watch the case ending because Latvian changes the form in each sentence.

Common mistakes

Using diena for every time word blurs daylight, calendar dates, and longer periods, and the accusative dienu is often confused with genitive dienas.

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Baltic and Proto-Balto-Slavic forms related to Proto-Slavic *dьnь and Old Prussian dēinā, ultimately from an Indo-European root connected with shining and daylight.

FAQ

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