Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/Basic-Sentence-Structure
As a Lithuanian language teacher with 20 years of experience, I am excited to guide you through the basics of Lithuanian sentence structure. By understanding the order of subjects, verbs, and objects, you will be able to form simple sentences in no time! Let's get started.
The Basic Sentence Structure
In Lithuanian, a basic sentence usually follows the Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order, similar to English. However, also similar to English, there are exceptions to this rule. The flexibility in sentence structure can be attributed to the abundance of cases in the Lithuanian language.
To clarify, cases are forms of nouns, adjectives, and pronouns that represent their function in a sentence, such as the subject, object, or receiver of an action. The topic of cases is covered in detail in a later lesson. For now, let's stick to the basics.
For a simple declarative sentence, the SVO order is used. For example:
- Mokytojas skaito knygą. (The teacher reads a book.)
* Subject: Mokytojas (teacher, nominative case) * Verb: skaito (reads) * Object: knygą (book, accusative case)
Word Order Variations
While the SVO order is common in Lithuanian, there are several variations that can occur. Here are a few examples:
- Vienas (subject) + yra (verb) + numeris (predicate nominative)
* Vienas yra pats eins (One is the loneliest number.)
- Reversed SVO order
* Biblioteka knygas perka. (The library buys books.) * Object: knygas (books, accusative case) * Subject: biblioteka (library, nominative case) * Verb: perka (buys)
- Verbs without an object
* Man patinka kava. (I like coffee.)
* Subject: man (I)
* Verb: patinka (like, third person singular)
* No object is needed here, as the verb already implies it.
- Inverted word order for emphasis or questions
* Ką tu veiksi vakare? (What will you do in the evening?)
* Literally translated as: "What you will do in the evening?"
Forming Questions
Forming questions in Lithuanian is fairly simple. All you have to do is raise the pitch of your voice at the end of the sentence, just like in English. However, there are other ways to form questions that can add emphasis, like adding the particle "ar" at the beginning of the sentence.
- Normal: Ar tu laimingas? (Are you happy?)
- Emphasized: Tu laimingas ar ne? (Are you happy or not?)
Summary
In summary, Lithuanian basic sentence structure follows the Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order, with some exceptions. The flexibility in sentence order is aided by the use of cases, which will be covered in detail in a later lesson. Questions can be formed simply by raising the pitch at the end of a sentence, or adding the particle "ar" at the beginning. Keep practicing and exploring the language, and you'll be forming complex sentences in no time!
Videos
Lithuanian Language Lessons -Basic Lithuanian Part 1 - YouTube