Language/Lithuanian/Grammar/Past-Tense

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Lithuanian → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Past Tense

In this lesson, we will embark on an exciting journey into the past! Understanding the past tense is essential for expressing experiences, storytelling, and reminiscing about moments that have shaped our lives. Whether you want to share what you did last summer or recount a memorable dinner with friends, mastering the past tense will empower you to communicate more vividly in Lithuanian.

The past tense in Lithuanian can be a bit tricky, but fear not! We will break it down step by step. We will cover the following key points:

• Formation of the past tense

• Regular verb conjugations

• Irregular verb conjugations

• Time expressions used with the past tense

• Practical exercises to help you apply what you've learned

By the end of this lesson, you will feel confident in your ability to use the past tense in everyday conversation.

Formation of the Past Tense

In Lithuanian, the past tense is formed differently than in English. It is primarily based on the verb's aspect (perfective or imperfective) and its conjugation pattern.

To create the past tense, we typically remove the infinitive suffix of the verb and add specific endings based on the subject's gender and number.

Regular Verbs

Regular verbs follow predictable patterns when conjugating into the past tense. Let's take a look at the general endings used for regular verbs:

• For masculine singular: -o

• For feminine singular: -a

• For masculine plural: -o (or sometimes -i)

• For feminine plural: -o (or sometimes -e)

Let's take the regular verb "mokyti" (to teach) as an example:

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
mokyti !! mokɪtʲɪ	to teach
aš mokiau !! aʃ mɔˈkʲi.aʊ	I taught (masc.)
tu mokei !! tu mɔˈkʲeɪ	you taught (masc.)
jis mokė !! jɪs mɔˈkʲe	he taught
ji mokė !! jɪ mɔˈkʲe	she taught
mes mokėme !! mɛs mɔˈkʲe.mɛ	we taught
jūs mokėte !! juːs mɔˈkʲe.tɛ	you (plural/formal) taught
jie mokė !! jɛ mɔˈkʲe	they (masc.) taught
jos mokė !! jɔs mɔˈkʲe	they (fem.) taught

As you can see, the verb "mokyti" changes based on the subject's gender and number.

Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs, on the other hand, do not follow the regular patterns and must be memorized. Here’s an example with the verb "būti" (to be):

Lithuanian	Pronunciation	English
būti !! ˈbʊːtʲɪ	to be
aš buvau !! aʃ buˈvau	I was
tu buvai !! tu buˈvai	you were
jis buvo !! jɪs ˈbʊ.vɔ	he was
ji buvo !! jɪ ˈbʊ.vɔ	she was
mes buvome !! mɛs ˈbʊ.vɔ.mɛ	we were
jūs buvote !! juːs ˈbʊ.vɔ.tɛ	you (plural/formal) were
jie buvo !! jɛ ˈbʊ.vɔ	they (masc.) were
jos buvo !! jɔs ˈbʊ.vɔ	they (fem.) were

Take note of the variations in conjugation for this irregular verb.

Time Expressions

When using the past tense, you will often want to indicate when the action took place. Here are some common time expressions used with the past tense:

• vakar (yesterday)

• prieš dvi dienas (two days ago)

• praėjusią savaitę (last week)

• pernai (last year)

• prieš mėnesį (a month ago)

• vakar vakare (last night)

These time expressions can help give context to your sentences.

Practical Exercises

Now that we have covered the formation and usage of the past tense, it's time to practice! Below are some exercises designed to reinforce your learning.

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct past tense form of the verbs in parentheses.

1. Aš (mėgti) __________ ledus.

2. Ji (būti) __________ labai laiminga.

3. Mes (važiuoti) __________ į pajūrį.

4. Tu (matyti) __________ filmą vakar.

5. Jie (dirbti) __________ kartu.

Solutions:

1. Aš mėgiau ledus.

2. Ji buvo labai laiminga.

3. Mes važiavome į pajūrį.

4. Tu matei filmą vakar.

5. Jie dirbo kartu.

Exercise 2: Conjugate the verbs

Conjugate the following verbs in the past tense for all subjects:

1. žaisti (to play)

2. rašyti (to write)

3. kalbėti (to speak)

Solutions:

1. žaisti:

• aš žaidžiau

• tu žaidei

• jis/ji žaidė

• mes žaidėme

• jūs žaidėte

• jie/jos žaidė

2. rašyti:

• aš rašiau

• tu rašei

• jis/ji rašė

• mes rašėme

• jūs rašėte

• jie/jos rašė

3. kalbėti:

• aš kalbėjau

• tu kalbėjai

• jis/ji kalbėjo

• mes kalbėjome

• jūs kalbėjote

• jie/jos kalbėjo

Exercise 3: Translate the sentences

Translate the following sentences into Lithuanian using the past tense.

1. I was at the concert.

2. They played football yesterday.

3. She wrote a letter last week.

Solutions:

1. Aš buvau koncerte.

2. Jie žaidė futbolą vakar.

3. Ji parašė laišką praėjusią savaitę.

Exercise 4: Create your own sentences

Write five sentences in Lithuanian using the past tense about what you did last week.

Example Solutions:

1. Aš nuėjau į kiną.

2. Mes valgėme picą.

3. Tu skambinai draugui.

4. Ji mokėsi universitetui.

5. Jie žiūrėjo televizorių.

Exercise 5: Identify the verbs

Read the following sentences and identify the verbs in the past tense.

1. Aš rašiau knygą.

2. Jie dirbo sode.

3. Tu valgiai vakarienę.

Solutions:

1. rašiau

2. dirbo

3. valgiai

Exercise 6: Match the time expressions

Match the sentences with the correct time expressions.

1. Aš buvau ten __________.

2. Mes žaidėme futbolą __________.

3. Ji parašė laišką __________.

a. vakar

b. pernai

c. prieš dvi dienas

Solutions:

1 - a

2 - c

3 - b

Exercise 7: Rewrite the sentences

Rewrite the following sentences in the past tense.

1. Aš einu į parduotuvę.

2. Mes mokomės lietuvių kalbos.

Solutions:

1. Aš ėjau į parduotuvę.

2. Mes mokėmės lietuvių kalbos.

Exercise 8: Fill in the correct ending

Complete the sentences by filling in the correct past tense ending for the verbs.

1. Mes (žinoti) __________, kad jis atvyko.

2. Ji (pamatyti) __________ gražų saulėlydį.

Solutions:

1. Mes žinojome, kad jis atvyko.

2. Ji pamatė gražų saulėlydį.

Exercise 9: True or False

Decide if the following statements are true or false.

1. The past tense in Lithuanian is always formed by adding -ed. (False)

2. "Būti" is an irregular verb. (True)

Solutions:

1. False

2. True

Exercise 10: Create a short story

Write a short story (3-5 sentences) in the past tense about a memorable event in your life.

Example Solution:

Praėjusią vasarą aš nuvykau į pajūrį su draugais. Mes plaukėme, valgėme ledus ir žaidėme futbolą. Vakarą praleidome prie laužo ir kalbėjome apie mūsų nuotykius. Tai buvo nuostabi diena!

In conclusion, mastering the past tense is a significant step in your journey to learning Lithuanian. Practice makes perfect, so make sure to revisit these exercises and apply what you've learned in your conversations. Remember, the more you use the past tense, the more natural it will become!

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

• Plurals
• Comparatives and Superlatives
• Pronouns
• Present Tense Verbs
• Questions
• Conjugation
• Singular and Plural Nouns
• 0 to A1 Course
• Multipurpose Words and Suffixes
• Connecting Ideas

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