tu
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Translating...
you, oh, well, would you believe it
/tu/
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An informal way to address one person, and a small emphatic word in Latvian exclamations of surprise, irritation, or disbelief.
Examples
Man patīk, ka tu runā tik atklāti.
I like that you speak so openly.
Ak tu brīnums, viņš tomēr atnāca!
Well, what a surprise, he came after all!
Ak tu vai, logs palicis vaļā!
Oh no, the window has been left open!
Vai tu šodien nāksi uz treniņu?
Will you come to practice today?
Vai tu atceries mūsu pirmo tikšanos?
Do you remember our first meeting?
Meanings
Examples
Ak tu debess, cik vēlu jau ir!
Oh goodness, it is already so late!
Ak tu brīnums, viņš tomēr atnāca!
Well, what a surprise, he came after all!
Nu tu gan atradi īsto brīdi!
Well, you really chose the perfect moment!
Ej tu galīgi, es tam neticu!
Oh come on, I do not believe that!
Ko tu neteiksi, tā nu gan ir ziņa!
Well, would you believe it, that is news!
Ak tu mūžs, kā tas notika?
Oh dear, how did that happen?
Ak tu vai, logs palicis vaļā!
Oh no, the window has been left open!
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Balto-Slavic and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European forms of the second-person singular pronoun.
FAQ
What does tu mean in Latvian?
tu is the informal singular second-person pronoun, used when speaking to one familiar person.
When should tu be used instead of jūs?
tu fits friends, relatives, children, and agreed familiar address, while jūs is used for plural or polite formal address.
What are the main case forms of tu?
The main forms are tevis in the genitive, tev or tevim in the dative, tevi in the accusative, and tevī in the locative.
No. jūs is the plural or polite counterpart, but it is not a true opposite, so it belongs as a related term.
What does tu do in ak tu debess?
In phrases such as ak tu debess, tu works like an emphatic exclamation word, adding surprise or emotion rather than pointing to one person.
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