Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/Prepositions

Lithuanian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Prepositions

Welcome to our lesson on Lithuanian prepositions! Prepositions are crucial in any language as they help express relationships between different elements within a sentence. They provide context, indicating time, location, direction, and more. Whether you want to say where you are, when something happens, or how you do something, prepositions will be your trusted allies.

In Lithuanian, prepositions can be quite diverse and sometimes tricky for English speakers, but don't worry! By the end of this lesson, you'll have a solid understanding of the most common Lithuanian prepositions and how to use them effectively in conversation.

Here’s what we’ll cover in this lesson:

• What are Prepositions?

• Common Lithuanian Prepositions

• Examples of Prepositions in Sentences

• Exercises and Practice Scenarios

• Solutions and Explanations for Exercises

Let's dive right in!

What are Prepositions?

Prepositions are words that link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words in a sentence. They often indicate relationships in terms of time, place, direction, cause, manner, and instrumentality. Understanding how prepositions work will help you construct meaningful sentences and express your thoughts clearly.

Common Lithuanian Prepositions

Lithuanian has many prepositions, but we will focus on the most commonly used ones. Here’s a list of essential Lithuanian prepositions, along with their meanings.

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
ant	[ant]	on
po	[po]	under
su	[su]	with
be	[be]	without
į	[iː]	to
iš	[iʃ]	from
per	[pɛr]	through
prie	[priɛ]	near
apie	[apʲɛ]	about
prieš	[pɾeʃ]	before
už	[uʒ]	behind
priešais	[prʲeʃais]	in front of
šalia	[ʃalʲa]	next to
virš	[viɾʃ]	above
po	[po]	after
prieš	[pɾeʃ]	against
taip	[taip]	as
tarp	[tarp]	between
nuo	[nʊo]	since
iki	[iki]	until
apie	[apʲɛ]	around

Examples of Prepositions in Sentences

To help you understand how to use these prepositions in context, let’s look at some examples. Each example will illustrate the relationship expressed by the preposition.

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
Knyga yra ant stalo.	[ˈkɲɪɡa ˈiɾa ant ˈstalo]	The book is on the table.
Katė slepiasi po sofa.	[ˈkɑtʲe ˈslʲɛpʲaˌsi po ˈsɔfa]	The cat is hiding under the sofa.
Aš einu su draugu.	[aʃ ˈeɪnu su ˈdɾaʊɡu]	I am going with a friend.
Jis gyvena be rūpesčių.	[jɪs ɡʲɪˈvɛnɔ be ˈrʊpɛʃtʲʊ]	He lives without worries.
Mes važiuojame į Vilnių.	[mɛs ˈvaʒʲuɔˌjɑmɛ iː ˈvilʲnʲu]	We are driving to Vilnius.
Aš grįžtu iš darbo.	[aʃ ˈɡɾiʒˌtu iʃ ˈdaɾbɔ]	I am coming back from work.
Eime per parką.	[ˈɛɪmɛ pɛr ˈpaɾkɔ]	We are walking through the park.
Mano namai yra prie mokyklos.	[ˈmɑnɔ ˈnamai ˈiɾa priɛ mɔˈkʲɪklɔs]	My house is near the school.
Kalbame apie orą.	[ˈkɑlbamɛ apʲɛ ˈɔɾa]	We are talking about the weather.
Ji atvyko prieš laiką.	[ji ʌtˈviːkɔ prʲeʃ ˈlaɪkɔ]	She arrived before the time.
Mašina yra už kampo.	[ˈmaʃʲinɐ ˈiɾa uʒ ˈkɒmpɔ]	The car is behind the corner.
Dėžė stovi priešais duris.	[ˈdɛʒɛ ˈstɔvʲi prʲeʃais ˈduɾɪs]	The box is in front of the door.
Vaikas žaidžia šalia draugų.	[ˈvaɪkɑs ˈʒaɪdʲa ˈʃalʲa ˈdɾaʊɡu]	The child is playing next to friends.
Lėktuvas skrenda virš miesto.	[ˈlʲɛkʲtʊvɐs ˈskɾɛn̪dɐ viɾʃ ˈmʲɛstɔ]	The plane is flying above the city.
Po vakarienės mes žiūrime filmą.	[pɔ vɑkɐˈɾʲɛnɛs mɛs ˈʒiːɾɪmɛ ˈfʲilmɑ]	After dinner, we watch a movie.
Aš bėgu prieš vėją.	[aʃ ˈbʲɛɡu prʲeʃ ˈvɛjɑ]	I run against the wind.
Jis sėdi tarp knygų.	[jɪs ˈsɛdʲi tɑɾp ˈkɲɪɡʊ]	He sits between the books.
Aš buvau nuo sekmadienio.	[aʃ buˈvau nʊɔ sʲɛkˈmɑdʲɛnʲɔ]	I have been since Sunday.
Mes dirbsime iki penktadienio.	[mɛs ˈdʲɪɾbʲiˌmɛ iːˈkʲi ˈpɛŋktɑdʲɛnʲɔ]	We will work until Friday.
Apie tą filmą, aš girdėjau daug.	[apʲɛ tɑ ˈfʲilmɑ, aʃ ˈɡɪɾdʲɛˌjɑu dɑʊɡ]	About that movie, I have heard a lot.

Exercises and Practice Scenarios

Now it’s time to put your knowledge to the test! Below are ten exercises designed to help you practice using Lithuanian prepositions.

1. Fill in the blanks with the correct preposition:

• Aš einu ___ parduotuvę. (to)

• Katė slepiasi ___ stalu. (under)

• Mes kalbame ___ orą. (about)

2. Translate the following sentences into Lithuanian:

• The dog is under the table.

• I am going to the store.

• They sit next to the window.

3. Choose the correct preposition from the options given:

• Aš gyvenu (prie / be) jūros. (near / without)

• Mes bėgame (per / po) parką. (through / under)

• Ji atvyko (į / iš) Vilniaus. (to / from)

4. Match the Lithuanian sentence with its English translation:

• a) Knyga yra ant stalo.

• b) Aš grįžtu iš darbo.

• c) Mašina yra už kampo.

• 1) The car is behind the corner.

• 2) The book is on the table.

• 3) I am coming back from work.

5. Complete the sentences using the correct prepositions:

• Aš atėjau ___ vakarienės. (after)

• Jis gyvena ___ mieste. (in)

• Mes einame ___ draugais. (with)

6. Rewrite the following sentences, replacing the prepositions with synonyms:

• Aš esu prie namų.

• Mes bėgame už mokyklos.

7. Identify and correct the mistakes in the sentences:

• Ji yra po stalu. (error in preposition)

• Aš važiuojau be Vilniaus. (error in context)

8. Provide the Lithuanian equivalent for the following phrases:

• In front of the house

• Behind the trees

• With my family

9. Create sentences using the following prepositions:

• ant (on)

• prie (near)

• po (under)

10. Translate the following sentences into English:

• Aš dirbu be poilsio.

• Jis gyvena po tiltu.

Solutions and Explanations for Exercises

1.

• Aš einu į parduotuvę.

• Katė slepiasi po stalu.

• Mes kalbame apie orą.

2.

• Šuo yra po stalu.

• Aš einu į parduotuvę.

• Jie sėdi šalia lango.

3.

• Aš gyvenu prie jūros.

• Mes bėgame per parką.

• Ji atvyko iš Vilniaus.

4.

• a) 2) The book is on the table.

• b) 3) I am coming back from work.

• c) 1) The car is behind the corner.

5.

• Aš atėjau po vakarienės.

• Jis gyvena mieste.

• Mes einame su draugais.

6.

• Aš esu šalia namų.

• Mes bėgame prieš mokyklos.

7.

• Ji yra ant stalo. (correct preposition)

• Aš važiuojau į Vilnių. (correct context)

8.

• Prie namų

• Už medžių

• Su mano šeima

9.

• Ant stalo guli knyga. (On the table lies a book.)

• Mano namai yra prie parko. (My house is near the park.)

• Katė miega po stalu. (The cat sleeps under the table.)

10.

• I work without rest.

• He lives under the bridge.

Congratulations! You've now learned the essential Lithuanian prepositions and how to use them effectively. Keep practicing, and soon you'll be able to express yourself fluently in Lithuanian!

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 Prepositions
• A Short Grammar of Lithuanian | Slavica Publishers

Other Lessons

• Nouns
• Give your Opinion
• Word Order
• Adjectives
• Conjunctions and Expressions of Time and Place
• Future Tense
• Present Tense Verbs
• Plurals
• Plural Forms of Nouns and Adjectives
• Negation