Language/Lithuanian/Vocabulary/Telling-Time

Lithuanian → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Numbers and Time → Telling Time

As a Lithuanian language teacher with 20 years of experience, I know how important it is to master telling time in Lithuanian. Whether you are planning daily routines, meeting someone for an appointment, or traveling in Lithuania, knowing how to ask and give the time will help you navigate everyday situations with ease. In this lesson, we will focus on learning the vocabulary and grammar rules necessary to effectively tell time in Lithuanian. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to confidently ask for and give the time in Lithuanian, and talk about daily schedules and routines.

Take some time to dive into these other pages after completing this lesson: Romantic Relationships & Clothes.

Vocabulary

Before we dive into the grammar rules for telling time, it is important to first learn the necessary vocabulary. Let's start by learning how to ask and answer the question "What time is it?" in Lithuanian:

• Kiek valanda? - What time is it?
• Dabar yra ... valanda. - It is ... o'clock.

Next, let's learn the names of the hours and minutes:

• valanda - hour
• minutė - minute

To express specific hours and minutes, we use the following vocabulary:

• prieš - before
• po - after
• už - past
• pusė - half

For example:

• 5 minutes before 1 o'clock - penki minutės prieš vieną valandą
• 10 minutes after 2 o'clock - dešimt minutės po antros valandos
• 20 minutes past 3 o'clock - dvidešimt minutės už trečios valandos
• Half past 4 o'clock - Ketvirtis už penkios valandos

Finally, it's worth noting that Lithuanians often express time using the 24-hour clock. This means that after noon, they will continue counting past 12 and use expressions like "13 valanda" for 1 p.m. and "21 valanda" for 9 p.m.

Grammar

Now that we've covered the necessary vocabulary, let's talk about the grammar rules behind telling time in Lithuanian. The basics of telling time in Lithuanian involve combining the words for hours and minutes, and optionally adding expressions for before, after, past, or half. Here are a few examples:

• 2 o'clock - dvi valandos
• 3:15 - trys valandos penkiolika minutės
• 6:30 - šešios valandos trisdešimt minučių

When using expressions for before, after, or past, we place the expression after the word for minutes:

• 1:45 - dvidešimt penki minutės prieš dvi valandas
• 4:20 - dvidešimt minučių po keturių valandų

To express half past, we use the word "pusė" (half) and place it after the word for a specific hour:

• 1:30 - pusė antros valandos
• 7:30 - pusė aštuonių valandų

It's worth noting that hours and minutes decline based on the grammatical case they are used in. Here is a quick reference chart for declensions:

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	valanda	valandos
Genitive	valandos	valandų
Dative	valandai	valandoms
Accusative	valandą	valandas
Instrumental	valanda	valandomis
Locative	valandoje	valandose

To use these cases correctly when telling time, simply replace the stem of "valanda" with the appropriate form for the case you need to use.

Examples

Now that we've covered the basics of telling time in Lithuanian, let's look at a few examples of how to use this vocabulary in everyday situations:

• A: Kiek valanda?

 B: Dabar yra penki valanda.

• A: Kiek laiko jums reikės, kad atvyktumėte?

 B: Reikės dvidešimt minučių prieš septynias valandas.

• A: Kada planuojate grįžti?

 B: Planuoju grįžti pusė šešių.

• A: Koks jūsų dienos tvarkaraštis?

 B: Darbas prasideda devynioms valandoms ryte, pietauja nesulaukus dvylikos, o baigiasi penktai popiet.

Tips

To help you master telling time in Lithuanian, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Practice, practice, practice! The more you use these expressions, the more natural they will become.
• Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Lithuanians are happy to help foreigners learn their language, even if it means correcting pronunciation or grammar mistakes.
• Use everyday situations to practice. Try narrating your daily routines in Lithuanian, or ask a Lithuanian friend to help you practice telling time.

Congratulations! You've now mastered telling time in Lithuanian! With this important skill, you'll be able to confidently navigate daily routines and schedules in Lithuania. In the next lesson, we will focus on the present tense by learning how to talk about activities that are happening right now. Keep up the good work!

Table of Contents - Lithuanian Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

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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

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Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

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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

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Prepositions and Conjunctions

• Common Prepositions
• Connecting Ideas

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Shopping and Services

• Shopping Vocabulary
• Banking and Postal Services

  ---

Lithuanian Traditions and Customs

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Traditional Cuisine

Other Lessons

• Traditional Lithuanian Dishes
• Shopping
• Common Greetings
• Asking and Answering Questions About Names and Nationalities
• Clothes
• Romantic Relationships
• Drinks and Beverages
• Modes of Transportation
• Business
• Fruits

Sources

• Time And Dates In Lithuanian: #1 Best Guide - Ling App
• Lithuanian Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

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