The older ones helped tidy the room in the evening.
Ārsts pārbaudīja sasisto lielu.
The doctor examined the bruised shin.
Māksliniecei ir liels talants.
The artist has great talent.
Pie ezera aug liels ozols.
A large oak grows by the lake.
Pēc kritiena viņam sāpēja kreisās kājas liels.
After the fall, his left shin hurt.
Similar words
plašs
augsts
dižs
pamatīgs
ievērojams
ietekmīgs
ievērojams
lielainums
stilbs
izaudzis
Meanings
Large in size or amount
adjective
everyday
neutral
Bigger than normal or expected in size, space, number, amount, or extent.
Usage
Use liels for ordinary bigness in size, amount, or extent, with the ending agreeing with the noun it describes.
Examples
Mūsu ciemā uzcēla lielu skolu.
A large school was built in our village.
Pie ezera aug liels ozols.
A large oak grows by the lake.
Viņai vajadzīga liela soma ceļojumam.
She needs a large bag for the trip.
Zālē sapulcējās liels cilvēku skaits.
A large number of people gathered in the hall.
Kurpes bērnam ir par lielām.
The shoes are too big for the child.
Common mistakes
Gender, number, and case endings are often left in the masculine nominative form.
Incorrect
Correct
Viņam ir liels māja.
Viņam ir liela māja.
Es nopirku liela somu.
Es nopirku lielu somu.
Kurpes ir ļoti mazas, tāpēc tās ir lielas.
Kurpes ir ļoti mazas, tāpēc tās nav lielas.
Similar words
milzīgs
prāvs
plašs
apjomīgs
dižs
ievērojams
High in degree
adjective
degree
neutral
Strong in force, feeling, sound, speed, pressure, or another measurable degree.
Usage
Use liels for high degree when English may prefer strong, loud, high, or intense rather than literally big.
Examples
Pēc uzvaras komandā valdīja liels prieks.
After the victory, there was great joy in the team.
Naktī sacēlās liels vējš.
A strong wind rose at night.
Darbnīcā bija liels troksnis.
There was a loud noise in the workshop.
Sacensībās viņš skrēja ar lielu ātrumu.
He ran at high speed in the competition.
Viņai pēc pārgājiena bija liels nogurums.
She felt great fatigue after the hike.
Common mistakes
Literal big is often overused where English needs strong, loud, high, or intense.
Incorrect
Correct
Darbnīcā bija liels klusums.
Darbnīcā bija liels troksnis.
Viņš skrēja ar liels ātrumu.
Viņš skrēja ar lielu ātrumu.
Man ir liels auksti.
Man ir ļoti auksti.
Similar words
spēcīgs
intensīvs
stiprs
augsts
pamatīgs
ievērojams
Important or excellent
adjective
social
neutral
Important, influential, notable, or especially good in a person, event, work, role, or achievement.
Usage
Use liels for importance or excellence when the context points to value, influence, or achievement rather than physical size.
Examples
Tā bija liela uzvara visai komandai.
It was a great victory for the whole team.
Rakstnieks kļuva par lielu vārdu latviešu literatūrā.
The writer became a great name in Latvian literature.
Viņa uzņēmās lielu atbildību.
She took on great responsibility.
Māksliniecei ir liels talants.
The artist has great talent.
Mūs gaida lieli darbi.
Great tasks await us.
Common mistakes
Physical size is sometimes read where the Latvian phrase means importance or excellence.
Incorrect
Correct
Tā bija liels uzvara.
Tā bija liela uzvara.
Viņš ir liels rakstnieku.
Viņš ir liels rakstnieks.
Liela atbildība nozīmē smagu somu.
Liela atbildība nozīmē svarīgu pienākumu.
Similar words
ievērojams
nozīmīgs
dižs
izcils
svarīgs
ietekmīgs
Grown or older
adjective
age
neutral
Grown enough to be treated as older or adult, especially when speaking about children.
Usage
Use liels for children or young people who have grown, and distinguish it from simple physical size when age is meant.
Examples
Bērni jau ir lieli un iet skolā.
The children are already grown and go to school.
Viņš grib spēlēties ar lielajiem bērniem.
He wants to play with the older children.
Kad būšu liels, dzīvošu pie jūras.
When I am grown up, I will live by the sea.
Meita pa vasaru kļuvusi liela.
The daughter has grown big over the summer.
Lielie vakarā palīdzēja sakārtot istabu.
The older ones helped tidy the room in the evening.
Common mistakes
The adjective is sometimes mistaken for only physical size when it means grown up.
Incorrect
Correct
Kad es būšu liela zēns, es strādāšu.
Kad es būšu liels zēns, es strādāšu.
Bērni jau ir lielu.
Bērni jau ir lieli.
Viņš ir liels, jo viņam ir divi gadi.
Viņš jau ir liels, jo ir paaudzies.
Similar words
pieaudzis
izaudzis
paaudzies
vecāks
nobriedis
Shin or woody growth
noun
anatomy
neutral
A rare noun for the shin, and also for a hard annual swelling on a tree trunk.
Usage
Use liels as a noun only in rare anatomical or forestry contexts, where more common words such as apakšstilbs are usually clearer.
Examples
Pēc kritiena viņam sāpēja kreisās kājas liels.
After the fall, his left shin hurt.
Ārsts pārbaudīja sasisto lielu.
The doctor examined the bruised shin.
Vecajā vārdnīcā liels dots kā apakšstilba nosaukums.
In the old dictionary, liels is given as a name for the shin.
Mežkopis parādīja cietu lielu uz egles stumbra.
The forester showed a hard growth on the spruce trunk.
Šo koka izaugumu vietējie sauc par lielu.
Local people call this tree growth a liels.
Common mistakes
The rare noun is easy to confuse with the common adjective.
Incorrect
Correct
Man vajag lielu, lai pateiktu big.
Man vajag vārdu liels, lai pateiktu big.
Viņam sāpēja kreisais liela.
Viņam sāpēja kreisās kājas liels.
Koka liels ir īpašības vārds.
Koka liels ir rets lietvārds par stumbra izaugumu.
Similar words
apakšstilbs
stilbs
lielainums
Usage
Let the noun and context decide the sense: size and amount are basic, while emotion, status, age, and the rare noun use need different English equivalents.
Common mistakes
liels māja uses the wrong gender ending, and literal big can misread Latvian phrases for intensity, importance, or adulthood.
Etymology
The adjective is inherited in Latvian and is usually connected with Proto-Indo-European *lei-, with a semantic path from thin or extended shape toward tall, large, and notable. The rare noun has a separate etymological explanation in older dictionaries.
FAQ
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