Below the usual or expected size, amount, length, value, or intensity for something of its kind.
Usage
Use mazs for physical size, short extent, low quantity, low value, or weak intensity, with the ending agreeing with the noun.
Examples
Uz galda stāvēja maza krūze.
A small mug stood on the table.
Viņš nopirka mazu dzīvokli pilsētas centrā.
He bought a small apartment in the city center.
Komanda spēra mazus soļus uz priekšu.
The team took small steps forward.
Šogad bija mazs sniega daudzums.
There was a small amount of snow this year.
Motoram vajadzīgs mazs spriegums.
The motor needs a low voltage.
Pēc lietus sacēlās mazs vējiņš.
A light breeze rose after the rain.
Common mistakes
Gender and case endings are often left in the masculine nominative form, and English-style word order can hide the needed agreement.
Incorrect
Correct
mazs krūze
maza krūze
Es nopirku mazs dzīvoklis.
Es nopirku mazu dzīvokli.
mazs cilvēki
mazi cilvēki
Similar words
neliels
sīks
maziņš
niecīgs
īss
zems
Young or little
adjective
family
neutral
Still young, especially of a child, or used affectionately for a child as the little one.
Usage
Use mazs for age when the context is childhood, while jauns is the broader word for young people, animals, or new things.
Examples
Kad biju mazs, vasaras pavadīju laukos.
When I was little, I spent summers in the countryside.
Viņu mazā meita jau lasa pati.
Their little daughter already reads by herself.
Mazajiem pēc pusdienām jāatpūšas.
The little ones need to rest after lunch.
Brālis vēl ir pārāk mazs, lai brauktu viens.
The brother is still too young to travel alone.
Skolā uzņēma arī mazākos bērnus.
The school also admitted the younger children.
Vecmāmiņa sauca puiku par savu mazo.
Grandmother called the boy her little one.
Common mistakes
The age sense is sometimes confused with jauns, and substantivized forms such as mazais still need the right ending.
Incorrect
Correct
Kad biju jauns, es vēl nerunāju.
Kad biju mazs, es vēl nerunāju.
mazs meita
mazā meita
Es redzēju mazais.
Es redzēju mazo.
Similar words
jauns
maziņš
nepieaudzis
mazais
mazulis
Minor or insignificant
adjective
everyday
neutral
Not very important, serious, costly, or demanding, often because the matter has limited weight or consequence.
Usage
Use mazs for minor errors, slight inconvenience, modest payment, or limited importance, not for something that is simply absent.
Examples
Ziņojumā bija tikai mazas kļūdas.
There were only minor errors in the report.
Par mazu samaksu viņš palīdzēja kaimiņiem.
He helped the neighbors for a small payment.
Šī kavēšanās radīja mazas neērtības.
This delay caused minor inconvenience.
Tā ir maza problēma, nevis krīze.
It is a small problem, not a crisis.
Viņa sagatavoja mazu dāvanu skolotājai.
She prepared a small gift for the teacher.
Par šo tēmu mums bija tikai maza saruna.
We had only a brief talk about this topic.
Common mistakes
The word can be overused where Latvian prefers maz for too little or neliels for a milder, more neutral estimate.
Incorrect
Correct
Man ir mazs naudas.
Man ir maz naudas.
Tā ir mazs problēma.
Tā ir maza problēma.
Darbs ir mazs svarīgs.
Darbs ir mazsvarīgs.
Similar words
niecīgs
mazsvarīgs
nebūtisks
nenozīmīgs
neliels
Humble or socially lowly
adjective
social
neutral
Lacking social power, confidence, generosity, or moral largeness, especially when a person feels small or is treated as unimportant.
Usage
Use mazs carefully in this figurative sense, since it can sound critical when it describes character and sympathetic when it describes status.
Examples
Viņš jutās mazs lielās auditorijas priekšā.
He felt small before the large audience.
Romānā aprakstīti mazie ļaudis pilsētas nomalē.
The novel describes the ordinary people on the edge of the city.
Bagāts amatā, bet kā cilvēks viņš palika mazs.
Rich in office, but as a person he remained small.
Pēc asas kritikas viņa jutās maza un nedroša.
After sharp criticism she felt small and unsure.
Pat pie varas viņš savā rīcībā bija mazs.
Even in power, his actions were petty.
Stāsts rāda, kā mazs cilvēks sastopas ar varu.
The story shows how an ordinary person meets power.
Common mistakes
The figurative sense is easily read as physical size unless the surrounding words point to status, character, or feeling.
Incorrect
Correct
Viņš ir mazs kā vadītājs.
Kā vadītājs viņš ir necils.
Viņa jutās mazu.
Viņa jutās maza.
mazs ļaudis
mazie ļaudis
Similar words
necils
neievērojams
pazemīgs
sīks
niecīgs
Usage
Match mazs to the noun in gender, number, and case, and let context show whether the idea is size, youth, importance, or social standing.
Common mistakes
mazs māja should be maza māja, and mazs should not replace the adverb maz in quantity phrases such as maz naudas.
Etymology
From Proto-Baltic *maźas, with cognates including Lithuanian mažas and Old Prussian massais. It is usually connected with an Indo-European size root that also appears in words meaning great or large.
FAQ
What does mazs mean?
mazs means small or little, and it can also mean young, minor, or humble depending on context.
Is mazs Latvian?
Yes. mazs is a Latvian adjective, with forms such as maza, mazi, mazu, and mazā.
How is mazs different from maz?
mazs is an adjective that agrees with a noun, while maz is an adverb or quantity word, as in maz naudas.
Can mazs describe a child?
Yes. In contexts such as kad biju mazs it means little or young, especially of a child.
Can mazs mean insignificant?
Yes. Maza kļūda is a minor error, and mazas nepatikšanas are small or slight troubles.
What is the opposite of mazs?
The main opposite is liels, meaning big or large. In figurative contexts dižs or nozīmīgs may fit better.
What are the comparative forms of mazs?
The comparative is mazāks, and the superlative is vismazākais or mazākais in context.
How do endings work with mazs?
mazs changes for gender, number, and case, so mazs suns, maza māja, and mazu dzīvokli are all different forms.
Where does mazs come from?
mazs goes back to Proto-Baltic maźas and is related to Lithuanian mažas, another Baltic word for small.
Comments & contributions
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