The dark part of the day between evening and morning, whether counted as time, spent somewhere, or tied to a particular date or event.
Usage
Use nakts for the full night period and for named nights such as Jāņu night or New Year's night. Use vakars for evening before night has properly begun.
Examples
Pēc saulrieta sākās klusa nakts.
After sunset, a quiet night began.
Mēs teltī pavadījām visu nakti.
We spent the whole night in the tent.
Viņa pamodās naktī un paskatījās pa logu.
She woke up at night and looked out the window.
Šī nakts bija aukstāka nekā iepriekšējā.
This night was colder than the previous one.
Autobuss pienāca vienos naktī.
The bus arrived at one at night.
Jāņu nakts laukos ir īpaša.
Midsummer night in the countryside is special.
Common mistakes
The accusative and locative forms are often replaced by the nominative nakts.
Incorrect
Correct
Mēs pavadījām nakts teltī.
Mēs pavadījām nakti teltī.
Viņa pamodās nakts.
Viņa pamodās naktī.
Es atbraucu vēlā nakts.
Es atbraucu vēlā vakarā.
Similar words
nakts laiks
tumsas laiks
tumsa
Night or nocturnal modifier
noun
everyday
neutral
The genitive form used before another word to show that something happens at night, is meant for night, or is active in the night.
Usage
Use nakts before nouns such as maiņa, vilciens, or dzīvnieks when the second word is defined by night activity or night use.
Examples
Viņš strādā nakts maiņā slimnīcā.
He works the night shift at the hospital.
Stacijā gaidījām nakts vilcienu.
We waited for the night train at the station.
Biologi pētīja nakts dzīvniekus.
The biologists studied nocturnal animals.
Koridorā dega maza nakts lampa.
A small night lamp was lit in the hallway.
Ceļam uzstādīja nakts apgaismojumu.
Night lighting was installed for the road.
Šajā dārzā zied nakts puķes.
Night flowers bloom in this garden.
Common mistakes
The modifier is sometimes declined like a separate adjective instead of staying in the genitive form nakts.
Incorrect
Correct
Viņš strādā naktī maiņā.
Viņš strādā nakts maiņā.
Stacijā gaidījām nakti vilcienu.
Stacijā gaidījām nakts vilcienu.
Bebrs ir naktī dzīvnieks.
Bebrs ir nakts dzīvnieks.
Similar words
Darkness
noun
literary
neutral
Darkness like that of night, especially when it is felt as a surrounding absence of light.
Usage
Use nakts for darkness in a broad or literary way. Use tumsa when the simple fact of darkness is all that is meant.
Examples
Aiz loga sabiezēja melna nakts.
Black darkness thickened beyond the window.
Viņa skatījās dziļajā naktī aiz stikla.
She looked into the deep darkness beyond the glass.
Bez mēness ceļu pārklāja nakts.
Without the moon, darkness covered the road.
Jūra saplūda ar aukstu nakti.
The sea merged with cold darkness.
Kalna ielejā ātri nolaidās nakts.
Night quickly fell in the mountain valley.
Pilsētu ieskāva bieza nakts.
Thick darkness surrounded the city.
Common mistakes
The darkness sense is overused where the plain word tumsa would be more natural.
Incorrect
Correct
Istabā bija nakts, jo izslēdza lampu.
Istabā bija tumsa, jo izslēdza lampu.
Es nevarēju lasīt nakts dēļ.
Es nevarēju lasīt tumsas dēļ.
Mežā valdīja tumsa nakts.
Mežā valdīja melna nakts.
Similar words
tumsa
tumsība
tumšums
timsa
Dark time of hardship
noun
literary
literary
A figurative period when fear, oppression, loss, or other heavy circumstances dominate life.
Usage
Use nakts figuratively when a time feels dark and oppressive. It is stronger and more literary than simply saying grūts laiks.
Examples
Pēc kara pilsētu pārņēma gara nakts.
After the war, a long dark period took hold of the city.
Represiju nakts aizvēra daudz balsu.
The night of repression silenced many voices.
Viņa dzīvē sākās smaga nakts.
A heavy night began in her life.
Brīvību nomainīja politiska nakts.
Freedom was replaced by a political night.
Šī nakts reiz beigsies ar rītu.
This night will one day end with morning.
Romānā nakts nozīmē baiļu laiku.
In the novel, night means a time of fear.
Common mistakes
The figurative sense sounds too heavy for ordinary inconvenience.
Incorrect
Correct
Nokavētais autobuss bija mana nakts.
Nokavētais autobuss bija nepatīkams brīdis.
Vakarā sākās fašisma tumsa.
Sākās fašisma nakts.
Šokolādes trūkums bija gara nakts.
Šokolādes trūkums bija sīka problēma.
Similar words
grūts laiks
posta laiks
tumsība
Usage
nakts is the ordinary word for night, but Latvian also uses it as a genitive modifier in compounds and as a strong image for darkness or hard times.
Common mistakes
nakts is often left in the nominative where Latvian needs nakti or naktī, and it is sometimes confused with vakars, evening.
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Balto-Slavic náktis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European nókʷts, and cognate with Lithuanian naktis.
FAQ
What does nakts mean?
nakts mainly means night, the dark period from evening to morning.
How is nakts pronounced?
nakts is pronounced /nakts/, with a short a and the final ts kept together.
What is the plural of nakts?
The nominative plural is naktis, and the genitive plural is nakšu.
What is the difference between nakts and vakars?
vakars is evening, while nakts is the night after evening.
Can nakts mean nocturnal?
In genitive phrases such as nakts dzīvnieki or nakts maiņa, nakts means night or nocturnal.
Can nakts be figurative?
Yes. nakts can describe a dark or oppressive period, especially in literary or historical language.
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