Bedeutung
Being very cold or unemotional.
Kultureller Hintergrund
Latvians value 'pirts' (sauna) culture to escape being 'auksts kā ledus'. The contrast between the freezing outside and the hot sauna is a national obsession. Similar to Latvians, Estonians and Lithuanians use this phrase to describe the 'Northern temperament'—reserved but not necessarily mean. In a global context, Latvians might be described as 'auksti kā ledus' in meetings because they don't smile much, but this is usually just professional focus. In folk songs, 'ledus' often symbolizes obstacles or death, making the idiom 'auksts kā ledus' carry a weight of 'finality' or 'harshness'.
Gender Agreement
Always check if you are describing a man (auksts) or a woman (auksta). This is the #1 mistake for beginners!
Don't use for 'Cool'
Never use this to mean 'that's cool' (awesome). It will only mean 'that's freezing' or 'that's mean'.
Bedeutung
Being very cold or unemotional.
Gender Agreement
Always check if you are describing a man (auksts) or a woman (auksta). This is the #1 mistake for beginners!
Don't use for 'Cool'
Never use this to mean 'that's cool' (awesome). It will only mean 'that's freezing' or 'that's mean'.
Use with 'Sirds'
If you want to sound more native when describing a mean person, say 'Viņam ir sirds auksta kā ledus' (He has a heart cold as ice).
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the correct form of 'auksts' (auksts or auksta).
Mana kafija ir ______ kā ledus!
Kafija is a feminine noun, so we use 'auksta'.
What does this sentence mean: 'Viņš ir auksts kā ledus'?
Viņš ir auksts kā ledus.
This is the figurative meaning of the idiom.
Match the Latvian phrase with its English meaning.
Match the pairs.
Matching adjectives to nouns.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Vai tev patīk jaunais priekšnieks? B: Nē, viņš ir ______ kā ledus.
The idiom fits the context of describing an unfriendly boss.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenMana kafija ir ______ kā ledus!
Kafija is a feminine noun, so we use 'auksta'.
Viņš ir auksts kā ledus.
This is the figurative meaning of the idiom.
Ordne jedem Element links seinen Partner rechts zu:
Matching adjectives to nouns.
A: Vai tev patīk jaunais priekšnieks? B: Nē, viņš ir ______ kā ledus.
The idiom fits the context of describing an unfriendly boss.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenYes, but usually only if it's supposed to be cold (like ice cream) or if you're complaining that your soup has gone freezing cold.
Yes, it's quite critical. It implies they have no feelings. Use it behind their back or in a serious confrontation.
No, in this specific comparison, 'ledus' stays in the nominative case.
It is 'auksta kā ledus'.
Yes, you can just say 'ledains' (icy).
You can, and people will understand, but 'auksts kā ledus' is the standard idiom.
Don't say 'Es esmu auksts'. Say 'Man ir auksti'.
Yes, many Latvian rock and pop songs use it to describe heartbreak.
Yes, it's perfect for describing someone whose face shows no emotion.
The words are A1, but using it figuratively is more A2/B1.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Aukstasinīgs
similarCold-blooded
Salds kā medus
contrastSweet as honey
Ledains skatiens
specialized formIcy stare
Akmens sirds
synonymHeart of stone
