Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/Present-Tense-Verbs

Lithuanian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Present Tense Verbs

Welcome to an exciting chapter of your Lithuanian language journey! Today, we're diving into the world of present tense verbs. Understanding how to use and conjugate these verbs is crucial for building a solid foundation in Lithuanian. Present tense verbs allow you to express actions that are happening right now, making your conversations lively and engaging.

In this lesson, we will cover the following:

The Importance of Present Tense Verbs

Present tense verbs are the cornerstone of everyday communication. They help you describe what you're doing at the moment or what you do regularly. By mastering present tense verbs, you will be able to express your thoughts and feelings, share your daily routines, and engage in simple conversations with native speakers.

Structure of the Lesson

1. Introduction to Present Tense in Lithuanian

2. Conjugation of Regular Verbs

3. Conjugation of Irregular Verbs

4. Usage of Present Tense in Sentences

5. Examples of Common Present Tense Verbs

6. Practice Exercises

7. Solutions and Explanations for Exercises

Introduction to Present Tense in Lithuanian

Lithuanian, like many languages, has a distinct way of conjugating verbs to reflect the present tense. The structure can be a bit different from English, but once you grasp the patterns, it becomes much easier. In Lithuanian, verbs change form based on the subject pronoun (I, you, he/she, we, they).

Let's look at the basic present tense endings for regular verbs:

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs in Lithuanian typically follow a predictable pattern. Here are the present tense endings based on the verb's conjugation group:

• 1st Conjugation: -ti (e.g., "kalbėti" - to speak)

• 2nd Conjugation: -uoti (e.g., "mėgauti" - to enjoy)

• 3rd Conjugation: -yti (e.g., "pradėti" - to begin)

The endings will change depending on the subject pronoun. Here's how it works:

Conjugation Endings

| Subject Pronoun | 1st Conjugation (-ti) | 2nd Conjugation (-uoti) | 3rd Conjugation (-yti) |

|------------------|-----------------------|-------------------------|------------------------|

| I | -iu | -iu | -iu |

| You (singular) | -i | -i | -i |

| He/She | -a | -a | -a |

| We | -ame | -ame | -ame |

| You (plural) | -ate | -ate | -ate |

| They | -a | -a | -a |

Conjugation of Regular Verbs

Let's take a closer look at how to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense. We will focus on three common verbs: "kalbėti" (to speak), "mėgauti" (to enjoy), and "pradėti" (to begin).

Example Conjugations

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
aš kalbu	aʃ kalbu	I speak
tu kalbi	tu kalbi	you speak
jis/ji kalba	jis/ji kalba	he/she speaks
mes kalbame	mes kalbame	we speak
jūs kalbate	jūs kalbate	you (plural) speak
jie/jos kalba	jie/jos kalba	they speak

For the verb "mėgauti" (to enjoy), the conjugation looks like this:

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
aš mėgaujuosi	aʃ mėgaujuosi	I enjoy
tu mėgaujiesi	tu mėgaujiesi	you enjoy
jis/ji mėgaujasi	jis/ji mėgaujasi	he/she enjoys
mes mėgaujamės	mes mėgaujamės	we enjoy
jūs mėgaujatės	jūs mėgaujatės	you (plural) enjoy
jie/jos mėgaujasi	jie/jos mėgaujasi	they enjoy

Finally, for "pradėti" (to begin):

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
aš pradedu	aʃ pradedu	I begin
tu pradedai	tu pradedai	you begin
jis/ji pradeda	jis/ji pradeda	he/she begins
mes pradedame	mes pradedame	we begin
jūs pradedate	jūs pradedate	you (plural) begin
jie/jos pradeda	jie/jos pradeda	they begin

Conjugation of Irregular Verbs

In addition to regular verbs, Lithuanian has a number of irregular verbs that do not follow the standard patterns. Let's look at a couple of common irregular verbs: "būti" (to be) and "turėti" (to have).

Example Conjugations

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
aš esu	aʃ esu	I am
tu esi	tu esi	you are
jis/ji yra	jis/ji yra	he/she is
mes esame	mes esame	we are
jūs esate	jūs esate	you (plural) are
jie/jos yra	jie/jos yra	they are

For the verb "turėti" (to have):

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
aš turiu	aʃ turiu	I have
tu turi	tu turi	you have
jis/ji turi	jis/ji turi	he/she has
mes turime	mes turime	we have
jūs turite	jūs turite	you (plural) have
jie/jos turi	jie/jos turi	they have

Usage of Present Tense in Sentences

Now that we understand how to conjugate both regular and irregular verbs, let's look at how to use these verbs in sentences. The present tense is used to express:

• Ongoing Actions: What you are doing right now.

• Habitual Actions: What you do regularly.

• General Truths: Facts that are always true.

Sentence Examples

Here are some examples demonstrating each of these uses:

1. Ongoing Action:

• Aš skaitau knygą. (I am reading a book.)

2. Habitual Action:

• Tu valgai pusryčius kiekvieną rytą. (You eat breakfast every morning.)

3. General Truth:

• Vanduo užšąla 0 laipsnių. (Water freezes at 0 degrees.)

Examples of Common Present Tense Verbs

To help you build your vocabulary, here are some common verbs used in everyday conversation, along with their conjugations.

Common Verbs

1. Daryti (to do)

| Lithuanian | Pronunciation | English |

|-------------|---------------|---------|

| aš darau | aʃ darau | I do |

| tu darai | tu darai | you do |

| jis/ji daro | jis/ji daro | he/she does |

| mes darome | mes darome | we do |

| jūs darote | jūs darote | you (plural) do |

| jie/jos daro| jie/jos daro | they do |

2. Eiti (to go)

| Lithuanian | Pronunciation | English |

|-------------|---------------|---------|

| aš einu | aʃ einu | I go |

| tu eini | tu eini | you go |

| jis/ji eina | jis/ji eina | he/she goes |

| mes einame | mes einame | we go |

| jūs einate | jūs einate | you (plural) go |

| jie/jos eina| jie/jos eina | they go |

3. Mokyti (to teach)

| Lithuanian | Pronunciation | English |

|-------------|---------------|---------|

| aš moko | aʃ moko | I teach |

| tu moko | tu moko | you teach|

| jis/ji moko | jis/ji moko | he/she teaches |

| mes mokome | mes mokome | we teach |

| jūs mokote | jūs mokote | you (plural) teach |

| jie/jos moko| jie/jos moko | they teach |

4. Žaisti (to play)

| Lithuanian | Pronunciation | English |

|-------------|---------------|---------|

| aš žaidžiu | aʃ žaidžiu | I play |

| tu žaidi | tu žaidi | you play |

| jis/ji žaidžia | jis/ji žaidžia | he/she plays |

| mes žaidžiame | mes žaidžiame | we play |

| jūs žaidžiate | jūs žaidžiate | you (plural) play |

| jie/jos žaidžia | jie/jos žaidžia | they play |

Practice Exercises

Now it's time to put your knowledge to the test! Below are some exercises designed to help you practice conjugating present tense verbs.

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in parentheses.

1. Aš (būti) ______ studentas.

2. Tu (turėti) ______ katę.

3. Mes (žaisti) ______ futbolą.

4. Jie (kalbėti) ______ angliškai.

5. Ji (mėgauti) ______ muziką.

Exercise 2: Conjugate the verbs

Conjugate the following verbs in the present tense for all subject pronouns.

1. Eiti (to go)

2. Mokyti (to teach)

Exercise 3: Translate the sentences

Translate the following sentences into Lithuanian.

1. I have a dog.

2. You are happy.

3. They play soccer every Saturday.

4. We enjoy traveling.

Exercise 4: Create sentences

Write sentences using the following verbs in the present tense.

1. Daryti (to do)

2. Kalbėti (to speak)

Exercise 5: Yes/No questions

Formulate yes/no questions using the present tense of the verb "būti" (to be).

1. You are a teacher.

2. They are friends.

Exercise 6: Multiple choice

Choose the correct form of the verb to complete the sentence.

1. Tu (turi/turiu) ______ knygą.

2. Mes (esate/esame) ______ laimingi.

Exercise 7: Match the pairs

Match the Lithuanian verbs with their English translations.

1. Mėgauti

2. Žaisti

3. Daryti

4. Kalbėti

a. to play

b. to do

c. to enjoy

d. to speak

Exercise 8: Write your routine

Write a short paragraph about your daily routine using present tense verbs.

Exercise 9: Role-play

Pair up with a classmate and role-play a conversation using present tense verbs. One person should ask about the other’s hobbies, and the other should respond.

Exercise 10: Verb chart

Create a verb chart for the following verbs, including all subject pronouns:

1. Būti (to be)

2. Turėti (to have)

Solutions and Explanations for Exercises

Now, let's go over the solutions for the exercises to reinforce your understanding.

Solutions to Exercise 1

1. Aš esiu studentas.

2. Tu turi katę.

3. Mes žaidi futbolą.

4. Jie kalba angliškai.

5. Ji mėgaujasi muziką.

Solutions to Exercise 2

Eiti

| Subject Pronoun | Present Tense |

|------------------|---------------|

| aš | einu |

| tu | eini |

| jis/ji | eina |

| mes | einame |

| jūs | einate |

| jie/jos | eina |

Mokyti

| Subject Pronoun | Present Tense |

|------------------|---------------|

| aš | moko |

| tu | moko |

| jis/ji | moko |

| mes | mokome |

| jūs | mokote |

| jie/jos | moko |

Solutions to Exercise 3

1. Aš turiu šunį.

2. Tu esi laimingas.

3. Jie žaidžia futbolą kiekvieną šeštadienį.

4. Mes mėgaujamės kelionėmis.

Solutions to Exercise 4

Example Sentences

1. Aš darau namų darbus. (I do homework.)

2. Tu kalbi lietuviškai. (You speak Lithuanian.)

Solutions to Exercise 5

1. Ar tu esi mokytojas? (Are you a teacher?)

2. Ar jie yra draugai? (Are they friends?)

Solutions to Exercise 6

1. Tu turi knygą.

2. Mes esame laimingi.

Solutions to Exercise 7

1-c, 2-a, 3-b, 4-d

Solutions to Exercise 8

Example Routine

Aš keliuosi anksti ryte. Aš valgau pusryčius ir einu į mokyklą. (I wake up early in the morning. I eat breakfast and go to school.)

Solutions to Exercise 9

Example Role-play

Person A: Kokius hobius tu turi? (What hobbies do you have?)

Person B: Aš mėgstu piešti ir žaisti futbolą. (I like to draw and play soccer.)

Solutions to Exercise 10

Būti

| Subject Pronoun | Present Tense |

|------------------|---------------|

| aš | esu |

| tu | esi |

| jis/ji | yra |

| mes | esame |

| jūs | esate |

| jie/jos | yra |

Turėti

| Subject Pronoun | Present Tense |

|------------------|---------------|

| aš | turiu |

| tu | turi |

| jis/ji | turi |

| mes | turime |

| jūs | turite |

| jie/jos | turi |

Congratulations on completing this lesson on present tense verbs! Remember, practice makes perfect, and the more you use these verbs in your daily conversations, the more natural they will feel. Keep up the great work, and I look forward to seeing you in the next lesson!

Table of Contents - Lithuanian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Lithuanian

• Alphabet and Pronunciation
• Basic Sentence Structure

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Common Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Nouns and Pronouns

• Noun Gender and Declension
• Personal Pronouns

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Telling Time

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

  ---

Food and Dining

• Common Foods
• Dining Out

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Describing People and Things
• Comparatives and Superlatives

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Asking for Directions

  ---

Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Common Prepositions
• Connecting Ideas

  ---

Shopping and Services

• Shopping Vocabulary
• Banking and Postal Services

  ---

Lithuanian Traditions and Customs

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Traditional Cuisine

Sources

• Lithuanian grammar - Wikipedia
• Lithuanian verb conjugator
• Verbs - Lithuanian Grammar

Other Lessons

• Genitive Case
• Adjectives
• Nouns
• Plural Forms of Nouns and Adjectives
• Singular and Plural Nouns
• Conditional Mood
• Negation
• Multipurpose Words and Suffixes
• Future Tense