-->

Introduction to Lithuanian Basics:
Lesson 15

By Linas

Talk things.

Lithuanian for thing is daiktas.

Say:

A thing is not alive.

Answer: Daiktas nėra gyvas.
Not correct. Please try again.

Actually, saying daiktas sounds kind of weird. You at least want to specify what thing you are talking about. I.e. I am talking about that thing.

The Lithuanian word for that is tas.

Let’s make it:

That thing is alive.

Answer: Tas daiktas yra gyvas.
Not correct. Please try again.

Of course, daiktas ends in as so it’s masculine (male) and that’s why it uses tas. There are also feminine (female) words (such as diena).

What do you think tas transforms to for the feminine form? Try applying it at once:

That day.

Answer: Ta diena.
Not correct. Please try again.

Lithuanian does not have words the and a so it uses tas and ta probably a bit more often than English.

Try saying.

That day is good.

Answer: Ta diena yra gera.
Not correct. Please try again.

Now, there is a very cool thing about these words (and similar words): they are easy to transform. Look.

The Lithuanian ši shows nearness (or proximity).

Try thinking this ship is very near to remember that.

Now, what do I mean by that? Well, I mean that if you add ši to tas it becomes šitas and means this. So, basically, ši transforms that into this. It happens all the time. Try saying:

That thing is very good, but this thing is bad.

Answer: Tas daiktas yra labai geras, bet šitas daiktas yra blogas.
Not correct. Please try again.

Try saying that:

This day is good but that day is bad.

Answer: Šita diena yra gera, bet ta diena yra bloga.
Not correct. Please try again.

This is not the only change word. Learn another one:

The Lithuanian ki shows alienation.

As well as ši, you can also add ki to words to make them more alien. So, if we add ki to tas we get kitas and it means other.

Try saying that now:

This thing is good but that other thing is bad.

Answer: Šitas daiktas yra geras, bet tas kitas daiktas yra blogas.
Not correct. Please try again.

This is awesome, isn’t it. Try saying:

It is an other day.

Answer: Tai yra kita diena.
Not correct. Please try again.

Actually, Lithuanians have no legitimate word for next so oficially they are supposed to use the words kitas and kita (which mean other) to mean next as well. For example, say:

The next bus.

Answer: Kitas autobusas.
Not correct. Please try again.

Of course, this is a bit confusing because it means another bus as well. It confuses Lithuanians as well but that’s how it has been so far. Try this last complaint-sentence:

That thing is bad, that other thing is bad and this thing is bad.

Answer: Tas daiktas yra blogas, tas kitas daiktas yra blogas ir šitas daiktas yra blogas.
Not correct. Please try again.

And this last good-sentence:

This thing is good.

Answer: Šitas daiktas yra geras.
Not correct. Please try again.

Okay, now we got the essentials. We will expand this very soon. You’ll see how easy it is.