Adverbs — Lithuanian Grammar

An adverb describes a verb, an adjective, or a whole sentence - telling how, when, where or to what degree something happens. Unlike adjectives, adverbs do not change for gender, number or case; they keep one fixed form, which makes them refreshingly simple.

Made From Adjectives

Most adverbs of manner come straight from adjectives, by swapping the ending:

-as adjectives → -ai: (well), (quickly)
-us adjectives → -iai: (beautifully), (loudly)

Ji gražiai dainuoja.
She sings beautifully.
Kalbėk garsiai.
Speak loudly.
Viskas gerai.
Everything is fine. / All is well.

Adverbs of Time

(now), (today), (yesterday), (tomorrow)
(already), (still, yet), (always), (often), (sometimes)

Šiandien dirbu.
Today I am working.
Jis dar miega.
He is still sleeping.
Dažnai čia būnu.
I am often here.

Adverbs of Place

(here), (there), (at home), (homewards)

Ateik čia.
Come here.
Einu namo.
I am going home.

Note the pair (being at home) versus (going home) - place where versus direction towards, a distinction Lithuanian likes to mark.

Degree Words

A degree word stands directly in front of the adjective or adverb it measures, and like every adverb it keeps one fixed shape:

(very), (too), (quite), (a little)

Labai gerai.
Very good.
Per brangu.
Too expensive.
Gana šalta.
Quite cold.

Note that here means "too much of something", not "through" - the same short word does both jobs, and the word after it tells them apart.

Sentence Adverbs

Some adverbs colour a whole sentence - your attitude to it, or a yes/no answer - rather than a single verb:

(yes), (no), (maybe), (of course), (unfortunately), (really, certainly)

Žinoma!
Of course!
Deja, negaliu.
Unfortunately, I can't.
Tai tikrai gražu.
That is really beautiful.

Word Order Is Flexible

An adverb usually comes just before the word it modifies, but Lithuanian word order is loose, so adverbs of time or attitude often move to the front for emphasis:

Šiandien labai šalta.
Today it is very cold.
Dabar einu namo.
Now I am going home.

Comparing Adverbs

Adverbs form a comparative in -iau, parallel to the adjective comparative in -esnis:

greitai → greičiau
quickly → faster.
Kalbėk lėčiau.
Speak more slowly.
Noriu daugiau.
I want more.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Lithuanian course

204 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 1. A few of them, with the words “Adverbs” is about in bold:

Jis taip pat miega. Ji nemiega.
He is also sleeping. She isn't.
Lesson 16
Kaip jautiesi? Gerai ar blogai?
How are you feeling? Good or bad?
Lesson 61
Aš jaučiuosi puikiai! Aš nesergu. Aš esu sveikas.
I feel great! I am not sick. I am healthy.
Lesson 64

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