slikts

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bad, evil, cruel, poor, bad
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/ˈslikt͡s/
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A broad Latvian adjective for moral wrongness, low quality, poor condition, and unfavorable circumstances or results.

Examples

  • Uzņēmumam pienāca sliktas ziņas.
    The company received bad news.
  • Viņai ir slikta dzirde.
    She has poor hearing.
  • Eksāmenā viņš saņēma sliktu atzīmi.
    He received a bad grade on the exam.
  • Komanda nospēlēja sliktu spēli.
    The team played a poor game.
  • Slimniekam šorīt ir slikts stāvoklis.
    The patient is in bad condition this morning.

Similar words

vājš
neizdevies
nekrietns
cietsirdīgs
traucēts
nejauks
nepiemērots
drūms
neizdevīgs
naidīgs

Meanings

Morally bad or cruel

adjective
morality
neutral
Wrong in character, conduct, or attitude, especially when it harms, deceives, or treats others cruelly.

Usage

Use slikts for people, actions, attitudes, and characters judged as morally bad, with the ending matching the Latvian noun.

Examples

  • Viņš nav slikts cilvēks, tikai noguris.
    He is not a bad person, just tired.
  • Pasakā sliktais karalis sodīja nevainīgos.
    In the fairy tale, the evil king punished the innocent.
  • Tā bija slikta rīcība pret draugu.
    That was bad conduct toward a friend.
  • Bērns saprata, ka melot ir slikti.
    The child understood that lying is bad.
  • Viņas sliktā attieksme sabojāja sarunu.
    Her bad attitude spoiled the conversation.
  • Nevajag domāt, ka katrs pretinieks ir slikts.
    It is wrong to think every opponent is bad.
  • Filmā sliktie varoņi beigās zaudēja.
    The bad characters lost at the end of the film.

Common mistakes

The ending is often left in the wrong gender, or the adjective is used where Latvian needs the adverb slikti.
IncorrectCorrect
Viņš ir slikta cilvēks. Viņš ir slikts cilvēks.
Tā bija slikts rīcība. Tā bija slikta rīcība.
Viņš rīkojās slikts. Viņš rīkojās slikti.

Similar words

Poor or unsuitable

adjective
quality
neutral
Low in quality, badly suited to a purpose, or weak in the work or result expected of it.

Usage

Use slikts for weak quality, poor work, unsuitable things, and disappointing results, matching gender, number, and case.

Examples

  • Tas ir slikts telefons ar vāju bateriju.
    It is a bad phone with a weak battery.
  • Šī ir slikta vieta teltij.
    This is a bad place for a tent.
  • Komanda nospēlēja sliktu spēli.
    The team played a poor game.
  • Viņa nav slikta skolotāja, tikai stingra.
    She is not a bad teacher, only strict.
  • Remonts bija slikts, un durvis atkal čīkst.
    The repair was poor, and the door creaks again.
  • Man sanāca slikts zīmējums.
    I ended up with a bad drawing.
  • Slikts instruments sabojā darbu.
    A bad tool spoils the work.

Common mistakes

The adjective is often left in nominative masculine, even when the noun needs another gender or case.
IncorrectCorrect
Tas ir slikta darbs. Tas ir slikts darbs.
Es nopirku slikts telefonu. Es nopirku sliktu telefonu.
Viņa strādā slikts. Viņa strādā slikti.

Similar words

Weak in health or ability

adjective
health
neutral
Poor in condition, feeling, or function, especially for health, mood, sleep, appetite, sight, or hearing.

Usage

Use slikts for health, mood, senses, sleep, appetite, and nausea, especially in fixed phrases such as slikta dūša.

Examples

  • Man ir slikta dūša.
    I feel nauseous.
  • Pēc negulētas nakts viņam bija slikts garastāvoklis.
    After a sleepless night, he was in a bad mood.
  • Vecmāmiņai kļuvusi slikta redze.
    Grandmother’s eyesight has become poor.
  • Slimniekam šorīt ir slikts stāvoklis.
    The patient is in bad condition this morning.
  • Viņai ir slikta dzirde.
    She has poor hearing.
  • Pēc kafijas viņam bija slikts miegs.
    After coffee, he had poor sleep.
  • Pēc treniņa viņam bija slikta pašsajūta.
    After training, he felt unwell.

Common mistakes

Health phrases often need a feminine noun such as dūša or redze, while feeling unwell often uses slikti.
IncorrectCorrect
Man ir slikts dūša. Man ir slikta dūša.
Viņai ir sliktu redze. Viņai ir slikta redze.
Es jūtos slikts. Es jūtos slikti.

Similar words

Unfavorable or disappointing

adjective
circumstances
neutral
Unlucky, unwelcome, or below what was hoped for, especially in weather, news, prospects, harvests, or results.

Usage

Use slikts for bad weather, bad news, weak prospects, difficult conditions, or an outcome that works against someone.

Examples

  • Rīt būs slikts laiks.
    The weather will be bad tomorrow.
  • Uzņēmumam pienāca sliktas ziņas.
    The company received bad news.
  • Sausums solīja sliktu ražu.
    The drought promised a poor harvest.
  • Lēmums nāca komandai par sliktu.
    The decision worked to the team’s disadvantage.
  • Situācija mainījās uz slikto pusi.
    The situation changed for the worse.
  • Ceļam bija slikti apstākļi.
    The road had bad conditions.
  • Eksāmenā viņš saņēma sliktu atzīmi.
    He received a bad grade on the exam.

Common mistakes

Fixed phrases such as par sliktu and uz slikto pusi often lose their required form.
IncorrectCorrect
Šodien ir slikts laika. Šodien ir slikts laiks.
Ziņas bija slikts. Ziņas bija sliktas.
Tas nāca man par slikts. Tas nāca man par sliktu.

Similar words

Usage

Use slikts as an adjective that agrees with its noun, and use context to choose between bad character, poor quality, poor health, or an unfavorable situation.

Common mistakes

Šī grāmata ir slikts leaves slikts in the wrong gender, since the feminine noun grāmata needs slikta.

Etymology

Borrowed into Latvian from a Low German or Dutch source related to German schlecht, with the older sense of plain or smooth developing into the modern negative meaning.

FAQ

What does slikts mean?

slikts means bad, poor, evil, unhealthy, or unfavorable depending on the noun and context.

How is slikts pronounced?

slikts is pronounced /ˈslikt͡s/, with the stress on the first syllable.

What is slikta dūša?

slikta dūša is the Latvian expression for nausea or feeling sick to the stomach.

Does slikts change form?

Yes. It agrees with the noun, as in slikts darbs, slikta ziņa, and sliktu rezultātu.

What is the opposite of slikts?

The main opposite is labs, meaning good. Other opposites depend on the sense, such as vesels for healthy.

Can slikts describe people?

Yes. It can describe a person as bad, cruel, or morally wrong, but it can also describe a bad mood or condition.

What does par sliktu mean?

par sliktu means to someone’s disadvantage or detriment, as in a decision that works against them.

Is slikti the same as slikts?

slikti can be the plural masculine form, but it is also the adverb badly, as in Es jūtos slikti.

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