Significado
Being very strong or hardworking.
Contexto cultural
Horses are central to Latvian 'Dainas' (folk songs). There are over 10,000 songs mentioning horses, often as the 'best friend' of the farmer. In the Baltics, the 'work ethic' (darba tikums) is often contrasted with the 'hustle culture' of the West. It's more about steady, quiet endurance. Even in IT and tech, Latvians use this phrase to describe 'crunch time' before a product launch. If you visit a farm in Latgale, being called a 'zirgs' in terms of work is the highest form of acceptance into the community.
Use with 'strādāt'
The most natural way to use this is with the verb 'strādāt' (to work). 'Es strādāju kā zirgs' is the gold standard.
Don't use for 'stubborn'
In English, horses can be stubborn. In Latvian, if someone is stubborn, use 'ēzelis' (donkey/mule), not 'zirgs'.
Significado
Being very strong or hardworking.
Use with 'strādāt'
The most natural way to use this is with the verb 'strādāt' (to work). 'Es strādāju kā zirgs' is the gold standard.
Don't use for 'stubborn'
In English, horses can be stubborn. In Latvian, if someone is stubborn, use 'ēzelis' (donkey/mule), not 'zirgs'.
The 'Stallā' nuance
Including 'stallā' (in the stable) makes you sound much more like a native speaker than just saying 'kā zirgs'.
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the missing word to complete the idiom.
Viņš ir tik stiprs kā _______.
The idiom for strength and hard work always uses 'zirgs' (horse).
Which sentence correctly uses the idiom to describe a hardworking person?
Choose the best option:
While you can 'eat like a horse' (ēst kā zirgam), the idiom for being hardworking is 'strādāt kā zirgs'.
Match the situation to the correct phrase.
Situation: Your friend has been cleaning their whole house for 8 hours.
Cleaning for 8 hours is hard work, so 'strādāt kā zirgs' is appropriate.
Complete the dialogue.
Anna: 'Vai tu esi noguris?' Juris: 'Jā, es šodien dārzā _______ kā zirgs.'
'Nostrādājos' means 'worked myself to exhaustion', which fits perfectly with the horse idiom.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosViņš ir tik stiprs kā _______.
The idiom for strength and hard work always uses 'zirgs' (horse).
Choose the best option:
While you can 'eat like a horse' (ēst kā zirgam), the idiom for being hardworking is 'strādāt kā zirgs'.
Situation: Your friend has been cleaning their whole house for 8 hours.
Cleaning for 8 hours is hard work, so 'strādāt kā zirgs' is appropriate.
Anna: 'Vai tu esi noguris?' Juris: 'Jā, es šodien dārzā _______ kā zirgs.'
'Nostrādājos' means 'worked myself to exhaustion', which fits perfectly with the horse idiom.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
4 preguntasNo, in the context of work or strength, it is a high compliment. It implies nobility and power.
Yes, it is gender-neutral in its figurative meaning, though 'zirgs' is grammatically masculine.
'Kā zirgs' is the standard comparison. 'Kā zirgam' is often used with verbs like 'klājas' or 'iet', or to emphasize the burden.
It's better suited for journalism, blogs, or speech. In academic or legal writing, use 'intensīvs darbs'.
Frases relacionadas
Darba rūķis
similarWork gnome/ant
Piekusis kā suns
builds onTired as a dog
Slinks kā maiss
contrastLazy as a sack
Zirga pacietība
similarHorse patience
