The dark part of the day between evening and morning, whether counted as time, spent somewhere, or tied to a particular date or event.
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.
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.
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.
Similar words
Darkness
noun
literary
neutral
Darkness like that of night, especially when it is felt as a surrounding absence of light.
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.
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.
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.
Similar words
grūts laiks
posta laiks
tumsība
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.
Comments & contributions
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Chipper Terrapin
Jul 5
Jāņu nakts is the first phrase I learned with this, because of course latvians make the shortest night into a whole event
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Silver Loon
Jun 24
For compounds, remember that nakts is often genitive singular, not a frozen adjective. nakts debesis, nakts miers, nakts maiņa, same shape because genitive sg is also nakts. the plural is where you see the ugly one, nakšu
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Hardy Nightingale
Jun 22
funny how close it is to Lithuanian naktis. this one finally made a Latvian word stick for me
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Spry Gazelle
Jun 19
šonakt trips people up because English tonight can point forward or back. Latvian uses šonakt for this current night, so šonakt gulēju labāk can mean I slept better tonight, not a future plan.
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Placid Egret
Jun 16
Small phrase thing: arlabunakti or ar labu nakti is what you say when somebody is going to bed. If you walk into a room at 9pm, dont use it as hello, say labvakar.