Nouns: Instrumental Case

01

By Means Of

The tool, vehicle, or method goes into the instrumental, with no preposition:

• Rašau pieštuku.

  I am writing with a pencil.

• Važiuoju autobusu.

  I am going by bus.

• Valgau šaukštu.

  I eat with a spoon.

• Kalbu telefonu.

  I am talking on the phone.

02

"Together With" - the preposition "su"

When "with" means "in the company of", Lithuanian uses the preposition su followed by the instrumental:

• Einu su draugu.

  I am going with a friend.

• Kava su pienu.

  Coffee with milk.

• Kalbėjau su mama.

  I spoke with mum.

Notice the contrast: a bare instrumental is the tool you use; su + instrumental is companionship or accompaniment.

03

A Role or Profession

dirbti (to work) always puts the job itself in the instrumental. būti (to be) does the same - but only away from the present tense: after the infinitive, and in the past and the future. In the present, what someone is stays in the nominative:

• Jis dirba mokytoju.

  He works as a teacher.

• Noriu būti gydytoju.

  I want to be a doctor. (after the infinitive)

• Jis buvo mokytoju.

  He was a teacher. (past)

• Jis yra mokytojas.

  He is a teacher. (present - nominative, not instrumental)

04

The Endings

Singular instrumental:

• vyras → vyru, brolis → broliu (masculine, -u)
• knyga → knyga, gatvė → gatve (feminine - the same letters as the nominative, but a different, shortened sound)
• sūnus → sūnumi, moteris → moterimi (the -mi type)

05

The Plural

In the plural the instrumental is very distinctive: masculine -ais (vyrais), feminine -omis / -ėmis (knygomis, gatvėmis):

• Kalbu su draugais.

  I am talking with friends.

• Pjaunu žirklėmis.

  I cut with scissors.

06

Route and Manner

The instrumental can also express the route you travel or the manner of an action - "along, by way of":

• Einu keliu.

  I walk along the road.

• Kokiu būdu?

  By what means? / How?

07

Times of Day

A neat use of the instrumental plural is for habitual times - "in the mornings, in the evenings", things you do as a rule:

• Rytais geriu kavą.

  In the mornings I drink coffee.

• Vakarais skaitau.

  In the evenings I read.

• Savaitgaliais ilsiuosi.

  At weekends I rest.

08

Adjectives and Pronouns Agree

An adjective or pronoun describing an instrumental noun also takes the instrumental - masculine -u (plural -ais), feminine -a (plural -omis):

• su geru draugu

  with a good friend.

• su ta knyga

  with that book.

• geromis dienomis

  on good days.