likt aiz auss
Literally to put behind the ear
Means to take careful note of something and remember it well
Example Ieliec šo padomu labi aiz auss!
An idiom is a phrase you cannot translate word for word. Here are 15 of the most common Latvian idioms, each with its literal translation, real meaning, and an example sentence, so you know what natives actually mean.
Common Latvian idioms are everyday expressions whose meaning cannot be guessed from the individual words. For example, likt aiz auss literally means "to put behind the ear" but is used to mean to take careful note of something and remember it well. This free tool lists 15 real Latvian idioms, each with its literal translation, meaning, and an example sentence.
All 15 Latvian idioms, with meanings and examples.
Guess the meaning, then tap a card to check.
Idiom list verified as of July 2026.
likt aiz auss
Literally to put behind the ear
Means to take careful note of something and remember it well
Example Ieliec šo padomu labi aiz auss!
runāt caur puķēm
Literally to talk through flowers
Means to speak indirectly or evasively instead of saying something plainly
Example Nerunā caur puķēm, saki taisni, ko domā!
sēdēt kā uz adatām
Literally to sit as if on needles
Means to be very anxious, restless, or impatient (on pins and needles)
Example Pirms eksāmena rezultātiem viņa sēdēja kā uz adatām.
mest naudu vējā
Literally to throw money to the wind
Means to waste or squander money
Example Pērkot lietas, kas nav vajadzīgas, tu vienkārši met naudu vējā.
augt kā sēnes pēc lietus
Literally to grow like mushrooms after rain
Means to appear or multiply very quickly and in great numbers
Example Pēdējā laikā pilsētā kafejnīcas aug kā sēnes pēc lietus.
sist dūri galdā
Literally to strike a fist on the table
Means to assert oneself forcefully or demand something with authority
Example Beidzot viņš sita dūri galdā un pateica, ko domā.
būt uz nažiem
Literally to be on knives
Means to be in a state of open hostility or conflict with someone
Example Kopš tā strīda brāļi ir uz nažiem.
akmens novēlās no sirds
Literally a stone rolled off the heart
Means to feel a huge sense of relief after a worry ends
Example Kad uzzināju, ka visi ir sveiki, man kā akmens novēlās no sirds.
kā sniegs uz galvas
Literally like snow on the head
Means happening completely suddenly, out of the blue
Example Viņa ciemos atbrauca kā sniegs uz galvas, nemaz nepiezvanot.
pa galvu pa kaklu
Literally by the head, by the neck
Means very hastily and carelessly, headlong
Example Viņš pa galvu pa kaklu izskrēja no mājas, aizmirsdams atslēgas.
strādāt kā zirgs
Literally to work like a horse
Means to work extremely hard
Example Visu vasaru viņš strādāja kā zirgs, lai savāktu naudu studijām.
sirds kā uz delnas
Literally heart as if on the palm
Means to be an open, sincere, straightforward person
Example Viņai sirds kā uz delnas, viņa nekad neko neslēpj.
griezt zobus
Literally to grind one's teeth
Means to be furious at someone and secretly want revenge
Example Kaimiņš joprojām griež zobus par pagājušā gada strīdu.
nejust zemi zem kājām
Literally to not feel the ground under one's feet
Means to be so happy or excited that one feels like walking on air
Example Pēc labās ziņas viņa nejuta zemi zem kājām.
aiz deviņiem kalniem
Literally beyond nine hills
Means very far away
Example Mans draugs tagad dzīvo aiz deviņiem kalniem, Austrālijā.
Idioms stick when you see them in context, not on a list. Lingo7 lets you read real Latvian books with sentence-aligned translation and native-narrated audio, so you meet idioms in the wild and tap any line you do not get. Save them and review later. Free to start.
An idiom is a phrase whose meaning is fixed by convention, not built from its words. That is why a word-for-word translation fails: Likt aiz auss comes out as "to put behind the ear", which makes no sense until you know it means to take careful note of something and remember it well.
Learn a few at a time, not a whole list. Pick the ones you keep running into, say them out loud in a real sentence, and you will remember them far longer than by drilling flashcards.
The most reliable way to absorb idioms is to meet them in context, again and again, in things you actually read. Parallel text and audio let you catch an idiom in a real Latvian sentence and check what it means without breaking your reading. That is what reading in Lingo7 is built for.
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Some of the most common Latvian idioms are likt aiz auss, runāt caur puķēm, sēdēt kā uz adatām, mest naudu vējā. Each one means something you could not guess from the words alone, which is exactly why learners have to meet them in context. This tool lists 15 of them with their meaning and an example sentence.
In Latvian, "likt aiz auss" translates literally as "to put behind the ear", but it actually means to take careful note of something and remember it well. You would use it like this: Ieliec šo padomu labi aiz auss!
Idioms are non-compositional: their meaning is fixed by convention, not built from the individual words. Likt aiz auss translates literally as "to put behind the ear", yet it means to take careful note of something and remember it well. Translate word for word and you get nonsense, so idioms have to be learned as whole units.
The fastest way is to meet them in context and reuse them, not to memorize a list. Learn a handful at a time, notice them while reading and listening, and try them in your own sentences. Reading real Latvian with tap-to-translate, the way Lingo7 works, turns every page into idiom practice.