Vilnius travel guide to restaurants pubs bars apartments shops and hotels in Vilnius Lithuania

Language Tips!

Fun with words


There's a famous Monty Python sketch where a dastardly writer is sued for creating a wildly misleading phrasebook. Tourists had found themselves asking highly unsuitable questions when all they were really after were directions to the train station. We assure you that all the words below are absolutely genuine, and unless a virus has got into the system, nothing unseemly is included below. Trust us - you'll be speaking Lithuanian in the blink of an eye!

Kavine - Cafe
Kava - Coffee
Arbata - Tea
Vanduo - Water
Sultys - Juice
Vynas - Wine
Alus - Beer
Stotele - Station
Traukynas - Train
Vaistine - Chemists

Click & Listen!

Yes

No

Hello

Goodbye

How are you?

Please

Thank you

How much does this cost?

Do you speak English?

Cheers!

I lost my passport - can you help me?

How much does beer cost?

Two beers please!

Do you have a sister?

Drop by tonight and I'll show you my stamp collection

Bankas, baras, klubas, restoranas, sportas - it sounds easy enough. However, at this point, sadly we have to shatter the illusion and confess that Lithuanian is actually trickias indeedas. We know that you can travel to Spain and pick up the lingo in a month or so, but you'd have to be a veritable genius to do likewise in this neck of the woods.

That said, there's no reason why you shouldn't master a few of the basics. It's not that difficult. You'll be heartened to hear that in the overall scheme of things, Lithuanian is nowhere near the top spot in the world's most difficult languages (as it goes, Hungarian and Japanese stole the show in a survey by the bods at the British Foreign Office). So it's time to prepare for Mission Vilnius and crack those cretinous tongue-twisters!

Below you'll find a few of the most basic words to get you started. It's true that English is now widely understood in Vilnius, but the locals will always be delighted to hear you have a bash at their own language. The older generation was of course obliged to learn Russian, but it's not the favourite language with the locals, as it brings back bleak memories. Similarly, you can often make yourself understood in Polish, but you'll be most popular by trying you're luck in the local tongue.

a few words...



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Lithuanian language tips

"It doesn't really matter if you'll say "As myliu tave" or "As tave myliu" But in your case it would sound better if you'd say "As tave myliu" "

Orangelimon
United States
Apr.21.2008
rates this page
3/5

"My great grandmother and grandmother have always said As myliu Tave and told us it was I love you. I have looked this up and get conflicting answers most of withch switch the last two words. Is this something that can be said either way? My grandmother is sick and it may be something I put on her tombstone or a flower arrangement but want to get it right, or hope that she has been right. Thanks for your help with this. Brian"

Brian
United States
Apr.12.2008
rates this page
3/5

"Can anyone out there help us with recordings of the above phrases in good, spoken, Lithuanian? If anyone is able to help (someone with a clear speaking voice and some recording eequipment!) please contact us at Vilnius Life so we can add these to the site. Drop us a line at info@vilnius-life.com and we will contact you about how to do this! Many thanks, the Vilnius Life team"

Vilnius Life
Lithuania
Mar.19.2008
rates this page
3/5

"novelle, good afternood (day) is not "labas dienas", but "laba diena" ;)"

GyvybÄ—
Lithuania
Mar.17.2008
rates this page
3/5

"" Ash-Me,I" "Tu-You" "Kodel-Why?" "Kaip-How?" "Kur-Where?" "Kada-When?""

Orangelimon
United States
Mar.16.2008
rates this page
3/5

""Myliu tave-Love you !" "Noriu taves-Want you !" "Tu man patinki-I like you !" "Gerai atrodai- you look good !""

Orangelimon
United States
Mar.16.2008
rates this page
3/5

"Kaip sekasi?- How is it going? Reply--> Neblogai-not bad. Gerai-good. Blogai-bad. Normaliai-fine-so so. "

Orangelimon
United States
Mar.16.2008
rates this page
3/5

"Are you still a virgin? = Ar tu dar mergelė?"

Michael
United Kingdom
Nov.14.2007
rates this page
4/5

"good morning - labas rytas good day - labas dienas good night - labanaktis goodbye - sudeiv excuse me - atsiprasiau"

novelle
United States
Nov.02.2007
rates this page
3/5

"please i would like to no more like when u wanna say to ur lady,i love u,where are u,things that have to do with love thanks!!!"

desmond
Netherlands
Nov.02.2007
rates this page
5/5

"It's very interessant. Could you say something more than "this is a dog's life" and "good night, good morning, cheer up ?" Thaank yoou."

Caroline
France
May.10.2007
rates this page
1/5

"Here's a few more words and phrases I found useful when I was there. You'll never be able to pronounce them (especially without seeing the LT characters), but it's a start, right?:
Geras - Good
Labai geras - Very good
I Sveikata - Cheers!
Skanus - Delicious
Myliu - Love
As tave (labai) myliu - I love you (very much).

From the Uzupis Constitution:
Suo turi teise myleti ir globoti kate. - A dog has the right to be a dog.
Nenugalek - Do not defeat.
Nesigink - Do not fight back.
Nepasiduok - Do not surrender.

Also, 'Viso Gero' is a better one to learn for 'Goodbye.' 'Iki' is more like 'see you later' and should only be used with friends. It's polite to say 'Viso gero' to shopkeepers as you exit (and it's pronunciation is straightforward--go for it).

Laime! (Good luck!)"

Gum
United States
Mar.02.2007
rates this page
3/5

"i wil love to be in luthuania."

gk.richardson
Aruba and Netherlands Antilles
Feb.15.2007
rates this page
5/5

"it's really useful. Could you write some more sentences, such as "good morning¡Bafternoon¡Bnight", and so on? Thank you! "

Sunny
Taiwan
Feb.10.2007
rates this page
4/5