Lithuanian nouns change their ending for their job in the sentence. These forms are called cases. The basic form, the one in the dictionary, is the nominative: , , . When you call someone, greet them or thank them by name, the name takes the calling form, the vocative.
The vocative: calling someone
| Nominative | Vocative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Names in -as → -ai | ||
| · | · | |
| -ius → -iau | ||
| -ė → -e | ||
| -a stays -a | ||
| · | · | |
| Other nouns in -as → -e | ||
| · | · | neighbour · key |
| neighbour · key | ||
You mostly call people, so names are what you need. Other nouns work too: Good evening, neighbour!
Listen to : the spelling stays the same, but the stress moves. In the basic form it falls at the end, o-NA; when you call her, it moves to the front: O-na! Many nouns in -a that are stressed at the end do this. keeps its stress where it is: RAK-tas, RAK-te!
Labai ačiū, Elze!Thank you very much, Elzė!
Labai ačiū, Elze!Thank you very much, Elzė!
Miciau! Ne!Micius! No!
Labas vakaras, kaimyne!Good evening, neighbour!
Possessives say whose something is: my, your, his, her. In Lithuanian they never change their ending, whatever the noun: , , , and with more than one, , my keys. The polite goes with , and with .
Whose? The possessives never change
| Person | Possessive | Examples | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| · | my key · my keys | ||
| my key · my keys | |||
| · | your neighbour · your neighbours | ||
| your neighbour · your neighbours | |||
| · | · | · | his key · her keys |
| his key · her keys | |||
| · | our house · our neighbours | ||
| our house · our neighbours | |||
| · | your name · your keys | ||
| your name · your keys | |||
| · | · | their neighbour · their neighbours | |
| their neighbour · their neighbours | |||
The plural (, ) comes properly in module 2; here it shows that the possessive stays the same.
Ona – mano močiutė.Ona is my grandmother.
Tai jūsų raktas.It's your key.
Tu turi mano raktą!You have my key!
Tu turi mano raktą!You have my key!
means no and not. On its own it answers a question: No. Before a verb it is written together with the verb, as one word: → . The one exception is , which becomes . Before a noun negated on its own, stays separate: , not a cat.
Saying no
| Yes | No | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| I am · I am not | ||
| I am · I am not | ||
| you are · you are not | ||
| you are · you are not | ||
| is · is not | ||
| is · is not | ||
| you have · you don't have | ||
| you have · you don't have | ||
| a cat · not a cat | ||
| a cat · not a cat | ||
Jis nėra blogas.He isn't bad.
Micius – katinas, ne katė!Micius is a tomcat, not a cat!
Aš nesu alkanas.I'm not hungry.
Aš nesu alkana.I'm not hungry.
Practice 1/5 · Finding words
Find the words
Tap the words that say no or not.
.
Micius isn't mine.
. .
He isn't bad. He's just hungry.
, !
A tomcat, not a cat!
.
I'm not hungry.
.
I'm not hungry.
, !
Micius, you aren't bad!
? – , .
Does Micius have the key? – No, he doesn't.
Practice 2/5 · The right form
Call them
Choose the right word for the gap.
Labai ačiū, !
Thank you very much, Elzė!
Labai ačiū, !
Thank you very much, Elzė!
, ne!
Micius, no!
Viso gero, !
Goodbye, key!
Viso gero, !
Goodbye, key!
Labas vakaras, !
Good evening, neighbour!
Labas rytas, !
Good morning, Ona!
Labas rytas, !
Good morning, Lukas!
Labas vakaras, !
Good evening, Jonas!
Labas vakaras, !
Good evening, Jonas!
Labas, !
Hi, Lena!
Calling, or talking about?
Choose the calling form or the basic form.
yra mūsų kaimynas.
Lukas is our neighbour.
irgi mūsų kaimynas.
Jonas is our neighbour too.
turi mano raktą!
Micius has my key!
turi mano raktą!
Micius has my key!
Ar alkana?
Is Elzė hungry?
Ar alkana?
Is Elzė hungry?
Jis mano .
He's my neighbour.
Ona – mano .
Ona is my neighbour.
Ona – mano .
Ona is my neighbour.
Kur mano ?
Where's my key?
Kur mano ?
Where's my key?
Mano Elzė.
My name is Elzė.
Whose is it?
Choose the right word for the gap.
Čia namas.
This is my house.
Štai raktas.
Here is your key.
Ona – močiutė.
Ona is my grandmother.
Tu turi raktą!
You have my key!
Tu turi raktą!
You have my key!
Štai jūsų . Jie nauji.
Here are your keys. They're new.
Mes esame jūsų .
We are your neighbours.
Jos yra mano .
They are my neighbours.
Jos yra mano .
They are my neighbours.
Čia mūsų .
This is our house.
Saying no
Choose the right word for the gap.
Ne, aš alkanas.
No, I'm not hungry.
Ne, aš alkana.
No, I'm not hungry.
Miciau, tu blogas!
Micius, you aren't bad!
Jis blogas.
He isn't bad.
Ar Micius turi raktą? – Ne, .
Does Micius have the key? – No, he doesn't.
Katinas, katė!
A tomcat, not a cat!
Practice 3/5 · Building sentences
Put the words in order
Put the words in order.
Thank you very much, Elzė!
Thank you very much, Elzė!
So this is your key.
He isn't a bad tomcat.
Ona is my grandmother.
My name is Elzė.
Lukas is our neighbour.
Jonas and Lena are our neighbours.
They are my neighbours.
They are my neighbours.
Micius is a tomcat, not a cat!
Here are your keys. They're new.
Practice 4/5 · In situations
The right words
Choose the right words for the situation.
Elzė gives you your key. Thank her by name.
You say:
When you speak to her, Elzė becomes Elze.
Elzė gives you your key. Thank her by name.
You say:
When you speak to her, Elzė becomes Elze.
The cat is walking off with your key. Call him and tell him no.
You say:
The cat is walking off with your key. Call him and tell him no.
You say:
Someone thanks you. Say you're welcome.
You say:
Someone thanks you. Say you're welcome.
You say:
Elzė meets Lukas on the stairs in the morning.
Elzė says:
Names in -as take -ai when you call someone: Lukas → Lukai.
Ona sees Lena at the front door in the evening.
Ona says:
Tell Elzė that Ona is your neighbour.
You say:
Tell Elzė that Ona is your neighbour.
You say:
Elzė shows you round number 7, her family's house.
Elzė says:
Practice 5/5 · Matching
Basic form and calling form
Match each call to its basic form.
Unit complete
