In any language, adverbs are the part of speech that gives that extra ‘oomph’ to sentences. That ‘oomph’ can be described as extra emotion, beauty, and detail. The adverb’s job is to describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. This means that they bring precision and detail into sentences, making language beautiful and worth learning!
Sentence without adverbs: I sit at the park and look at the gazebo.
Sentence with adverbs: I often sit at the park and calmly gaze at the beautifully decorated gazebo.
See a difference? This article focuses on Lithuanian adverbs, or ‘prieveiksmiai‘ as they are called in Lithuanian. English students remember adverbs because they usually end in ‘ly’ (examples: quietly, carefully, calmly, etc).
Though it’s not the same in Lithuanian, there are similarities in how English and Lithuanian adverbs are categorized. Both languages use adverbs that fall into 5 categories: time, place, frequency, manner, and degree.
In this lesson, we will look at the placement and formation of Lithuanian adverbs, how to use them in a sentence, and give you examples of useful Lithuanian adverbs that native speakers use on a day-to-day basis. Ready to learn Lithuanian? Let’s get started!
Formation Of Lithuanian Adverbs
How do you form adverbs? In Lithuanian, adverbs are formed by adding -ai or -iai to the stem of an adjective, depending on the vowel harmony rules. For example, from the adjective “geras” (good), we can form the adverb “gerai” (well). Some adverbs have irregular forms, such as “greitai” (fast) from “greitas” (fast), “blogai” (badly) from “blogas” (bad), and “mažai” (little) from “mažas” (small).
Placement Of Lithuanian Adverbs In Sentences
Adverbs in Lithuanian can be used in different positions in a sentence, depending on their function and emphasis. (*Just like in English!) The most common position is before the verb, as in “Aš gerai jaučiuosi” (I feel good), where “gerai” modifies the Lithuanian verb “jauciuosi” (feel).
Adverbs of frequency, such as “dažnai” (often), “retai” (rarely), and “kartais” (sometimes), usually come before the verb, as in “Aš dažnai sportuoju” (I often exercise).
Another position for Lithuanian adverbs is after the verb, as in “Eik greitai!” (Go fast!) or “Atsakyk aiškiai!” (Answer clearly!). As you can see, this placement type is usually saved for commands or imperatives.
Pro Tip: Adverbs of manner, such as “gerai” (well), “blogai” (badly), and “gražiai” (beautifully), can also be placed after the verb, as in “Aš giedu gražiai” (I sing beautifully).
Lithuanian adverbs can also be used at the beginning or end of a sentence for emphasis or contrast.
For example, “Visiems reikia laiko, tačiau ne visiems laiko yra” (Everyone needs time, but not everyone has time), where “tačiau” (however) is used at the beginning of the sentence for contrast.
Another example is “Aš vis dar nežinau, ką daryti” (I still don’t know what to do), where “vis dar” (still) is used at the beginning of the sentence for emphasis.
I hope these tips gave you some insight on how Lithuanian adverbs are used in a sentence! As you can see, there are many different placements for different meanings, same as in English. If you practice enough you’ll start to get the hang of it! We will look at more examples later, but as for now let’s do some fast-track memorizing of common adverbs.
List Of 20 Useful Lithuanian Adverbs
Listed below are 20 of the most common and useful adverbs for you to incorporate into your Lithuanian practice. Use these words along with Lithuanian nouns. Don’t forget to also use slang words to sound like a native speaker!
| English | Lithuanian |
|---|---|
| Sincerely | Nuoširdžiai |
| On time | Laiku |
| Earlier | Anksčiau |
| Later | Vėliau |
| Indeed | Iš tiesų |
| Not | Ne |
| Truly | Tikrai |
| Quickly | Greitai |
| Slowly | Lėtai |
| Very | Labai |
| Completely | Visiškai |
| Quite | Gana |
| Very little | Labai mažai |
| Only | Tik |
| Simply | Tiesiog |
| Perhaps | Galbūt |
| Well | Gerai |
| Almost | Beveik |
| Usually | Dažniausiai |
Want more help with Lithuanian? I know there’s not a lot of resources out there, so check out Lithuanian sentence structure and funny Lithuanian phrases page to get trusted help!
Examples On To Use Lithuanian Adverbs In Sentences
There are many adverbs that also talk about the Lithuanian time and date. And, the best part about learning languages today is with the help of modern technology like apps. Download the best language-learning app, the Ling app, today from the App Store and Play Store!
Let’s take a look at some useful Lithuanian adverbs that native speakers use in their daily conversations:
Greitai – fast, quickly
- Example: “Turiu skubėti, nes mano traukinys atvyksta greitai” (I have to hurry because my train arrives quickly)
Lengvai – easily
- Example: “Man pavyko išmokti lietuvių kalbą lengvai” (I managed to learn Lithuanian easily)
Visada – always
- Example: “Aš visada laukiu savaitgalio, kad susitikčiau su savo draugais” (I always look forward to the weekend to meet my friends)
Kartu – together
- Example: “Mes kartu lankėme muziejų ir parką” (We visited a museum and a park together)
Labai – very
- Example: “Aš labai noriu išmokti lietuvių kalbos” (I really want to learn Lithuanian)
Kartais – sometimes
- Example: “Kartais man patinka vienam sėdėti namuose ir skaityti knygas” (Sometimes I enjoy sitting at home alone and reading books)
Tikrai – really, truly
- Example: “Tai tikrai puikus pasiūlymas” (That’s a really great offer)
Greičiau – faster
- Example: “Aš turiu eiti greičiau, kad pasiečiau paskutinį autobusą” (I have to go faster to catch the last bus)
Šiek tiek – a little bit
- Example: “Man reikia šiek tiek daugiau laiko, kad galėčiau baigti savo darbą” (I need a little more time to finish my work)
Net – even
- Example: “Aš net nesu tikras, ar tai yra gerai” (I’m not even sure if that’s good)
Gerai – well, okay
- Example: “Aš jaučiuosi gerai” (I feel good) or “Gerai, susitiksime rytoj” (Okay, we’ll meet tomorrow)
Greitai – soon
- Example: “Mes turime apsvarstyti šią problemą greitai” (We have to consider this problem soon)
Dar – still, yet
- Example: “Aš dar nemoku gerai kalbėti lietuvių kalba” (I still don’t speak Lithuanian well)
Taip pat – also, as well
- Example: “Aš mėgstu sportuoti ir taip pat lankau muziejus” (I like to exercise and also visit museums)
Tik – only
- Example: “Tik ši knyga manęs nenusivylė” (Only this book didn’t disappoint me)
Dažniausiai – mostly
- Example: “Aš dažniausiai valgau pusryčius namie” (I mostly eat breakfast at home)
Nedaug – not much
- Example: “Man reikia nedaug laiko, kad pasiečiau savo tikslą” (I don’t need much time to achieve my goal)
Tiesą sakant – to tell the truth
- Example: “Tiesą sakant, man reikia pagalbos su šiuo projektu” (To tell the truth, I need help with this project)
Pagal – according to
- Example: “Pagal mano supratimą, mes turime pasiekti šį tikslą” (According to my understanding, we have to achieve this goal)
Gražiai – beautifully
20. Example: “Ji gražiai šoko scenoje.” (She danced beautifully across the stage)
Whoo! I know that was a lot of information, but these are great study tools for practice. If you take the time out of your day and night to learn, you’ll be incorporating adverbs into your speaking and writing in no time!
Remember, by learning these adverbs, you’ll be able to express yourself more clearly and accurately, and you’ll have an easier time understanding native speakers. Practice makes perfect, so try to use these adverbs as much as possible in your conversations!
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