What does “that” mean in Lithuanian?
English “that” does two quite different grammatical jobs, and Lithuanian uses two quite different words to do them.
First: “that” as a subordinating conjunction — introducing a subordinate clause: I know that he is coming. She said that she was tired. It is important that you listen. In Lithuanian, this is kad (/kɑd̪/). It is one of the most frequently occurring words in the language, appearing in every register from folk speech to formal prose. Žinau, kad jis ateina. — I know that he is coming.
Second: “that” as a demonstrative pronoun or adjective — pointing to a specific, often distant thing: That house is beautiful. I want that. Who said that? In Lithuanian, this is tas (masculine, /tɑs/) and ta (feminine, /tɑ/), with a full seven-case declension. Tas namas yra gražus. — That house is beautiful. Noriu to. — I want that (of-that, genitive).
Both words are indispensable. Kad is the hinge on which complex Lithuanian thought turns — without it, you can only make simple single-clause statements. Tas/ta is the pointing finger — the word that distinguishes this (here, near me: šis/ši) from that (there, further away: tas/ta).
FAQ: How do you say “that” in Lithuanian?
Q: How do you say “that” (conjunction, introducing a clause) in Lithuanian? A: The conjunction “that” is kad: Tikiu, kad viskas bus gerai — “I believe that everything will be all right.”
Q: How do you say “that” (demonstrative, pointing to something) in Lithuanian? A: The demonstrative is tas (masculine) or ta (feminine): Tas vyras yra mano tėvas — “That man is my father.” Ta moteris šypsosi — “That woman is smiling.”
Q: What is the difference between tas/ta (that) and šis/ši (this)? A: Šis/ši refers to something close to the speaker (this, here). Tas/ta refers to something further away or previously mentioned (that, there). The distinction maps closely onto English “this” vs. “that,” though Lithuanian also has a third form anas/ana for something even more distant or previously mentioned in discourse.
Q: Does kad ever mean anything other than “that”? A: Yes. Kad also introduces purpose clauses (”so that,” “in order that”) and, especially in spoken Lithuanian, it introduces exclamations and emphatic wishes: Kad tu žinotum! — “If only you knew!” / “You should know!” It is also used in concessive structures in colloquial speech.
Q: Does tas/ta decline through cases? A: Yes — fully, through all seven cases, in both genders and both numbers. The paradigm is highly regular and closely parallels the adjective declension system. Knowing the declension of tas/ta is the foundation for learning all Lithuanian adjective and pronoun agreement.
How this lesson will proceed:
The 15 main examples are divided between kad and tas/ta, with the two functions clearly distinguished in the interlinear glossing. The examples demonstrate kad in a range of clause types (reported speech, belief, purpose, result), and tas/ta in its key case forms, both as a standalone pronoun and as a demonstrative adjective preceding a noun.
Key Takeaways: -
kad = subordinating conjunction “that / so that / in order that” — invariable -
tas (masc.) / ta (fem.) = demonstrative pronoun/adjective “that” — fully declined -
šis/ši (this, near) vs. tas/ta (that, further) vs. anas/ana (that, remote/discourse-distant) -
kad introduces: reported speech, belief clauses, purpose clauses, result clauses, and emphatic exclamations -
The declension of tas/ta mirrors the definite adjective declension — learning one teaches the other -
Tas in the nominative masculine also functions as a definite article-like particle in some colloquial constructions
Course index: https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
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kad = /kɑd̪/ — two sounds: /k/ + open /ɑ/ + dental /d̪/. Lithuanian d is dental (tongue touching the upper teeth), slightly softer than the English alveolar d. In fast speech, final d may be devoiced to /t/: kad → /kɑt̪/. The word is unstressed in a clause and spoken quickly.
tas = /tɑs/ — /t/ (dental) + open /ɑ/ + /s/. Stress on the single syllable. ta = /tɑ/ — simply /t/ + /ɑ/. Short and clear. to = /to/ — genitive masculine singular; close /o/. tą = /tɑː/ — accusative masculine singular; long /ɑː/ (the ogonek marks historical nasality, now simply vowel length in standard Lithuanian). tuo = /tʊo/ — instrumental masculine singular; diphthong /ʊo/. tame = /tɑˈmɛ/ — locative masculine singular; two syllables, stress on second. toje = /ˈtojɛ/ — locative feminine singular; two syllables, stress on first. tą = /tɑː/ — accusative feminine singular (same form as masculine accusative singular).
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Granular word-by-word glossing with IPA pronunciation in parentheses. KAD = subordinating conjunction. DEM = demonstrative pronoun/adjective.
— KAD: subordinating conjunction —
9.1 Aš (/ɑʃ/) I žinau (/ˈʒɪnɑʊ/) know-1SG , kad (/kɑd̪/) that tu (/tʊ/) you esi (/ˈɛsɪ/) are teisus (/ˈtɛɪsʊs/) right-MASC .
I know that you are right.
9.2 Ji (/jɪ/) she sakė (/ˈsɑkʲeː/) said-3SG.PAST , kad (/kɑd̪/) that grįš (/ɡrɪːʃ/) will-return-3SG rytoj (/rɪˈtoj/) tomorrow .
She said that she would return tomorrow.
9.3 Manau (/mɑˈnɑʊ/) I-think-1SG , kad (/kɑd̪/) that šis (/ʃɪs/) this kelias (/ˈkʲɛlɪɑs/) road-NOM yra (/ˈiːrɑ/) is teisingas (/tɛɪˈsɪŋɡɑs/) correct-MASC .
I think that this road is the right one.
9.4 Svarbu (/svɑrˈbʊ/) important-NEUT , kad (/kɑd̪/) that visi (/vɪˈsɪ/) all/everyone klausytų (/klɑʊˈsɪtʊ/) listen-3SG.SUBJ .
It is important that everyone listen.
9.5 Jis (/jɪs/) he atėjo (/ɑˈtʲeːjo/) came-3SG.PAST anksti (/ˈɑŋkstɪ/) early , kad (/kɑd̪/) so-that galėtų (/ɡɑˈlʲeːtʊ/) could-3SG.SUBJ padėti (/pɑˈd̪ʲeːtɪ/) help-INF .
He came early so that he could help.
9.6 Tikiu (/tɪˈkɪʊ/) I-believe-1SG , kad (/kɑd̪/) that viskas (/ˈvɪskɑs/) everything-NOM bus (/bʊs/) will-be gerai (/ɡɛˈrɑɪ/) well/alright .
I believe that everything will be all right.
9.7 Gaila (/ˈɡɑɪlɑ/) pity/sorry-NEUT , kad (/kɑd̪/) that jo (/jo/) him-GEN čia (/tʃɪɑ/) here nėra (/ˈnʲeːrɑ/) is-not .
It is a pity that he is not here.
9.8 Kad (/kɑd̪/) if-only/that tu (/tʊ/) you žinotum (/ˈʒɪnotʊm/) knew-2SG.SUBJ , kaip (/kɑɪp/) how aš (/ɑʃ/) I tavęs (/tɑˈvʲɛːs/) you-GEN ilgiuosi (/ɪlˈɡɪʊosɪ/) long-for-1SG !
If only you knew how much I miss you!
— TAS / TA: demonstrative pronoun and adjective —
9.9 Tas (/tɑs/) that-MASC.NOM namas (/ˈnɑmɑs/) house-NOM yra (/ˈiːrɑ/) is labai (/lɑˈbɑɪ/) very senas (/ˈsɛnɑs/) old-MASC .
That house is very old.
9.10 Noriu (/ˈnorɪʊ/) I-want-1SG to (/to/) that-GEN.MASC .
I want that. (to = genitive of tas; Lithuanian verbs of wanting/needing/desiring often govern the genitive)
9.11 Ar (/ɑr/) Q žinai (/ˈʒɪnɑɪ/) you-know tą (/tɑː/) that-ACC.MASC žmogų (/ˈʒmoɡʊ/) man-ACC ?
Do you know that man?
9.12 Su (/sʊ/) with tuo (/tʊo/) that-INST.MASC žmogumi (/ʒmoˈɡʊmɪ/) man-INST niekada (/nɪɛˈkɑd̪ɑ/) never nekalbėk (/nɛkɑlˈbʲeːk/) not-speak-IMP .
Never speak with that man.
9.13 Ta (/tɑ/) that-FEM.NOM moteris (/ˈmotɛrɪs/) woman-NOM dainuoja (/d̪ɑɪˈnʊojɑ/) sings kiekvieną (/kɪɛkˈvɪɛnɑ/) every-ACC.FEM rytą (/ˈrɪːtɑ/) morning-ACC .
That woman sings every morning.
9.14 Aš (/ɑʃ/) I gimiau (/ɡɪˈmɪɑʊ/) was-born-1SG.PAST tame (/tɑˈmɛ/) in-that-LOC.MASC mieste (/ˈmɪɛstɛ/) city-LOC .
I was born in that city.
9.15 Tai (/tɑɪ/) that/it-NOM.NEUT , ką (/kɑ/) which/what-ACC sakei (/ˈsɑkʲeɪ/) you-said-2SG.PAST , yra (/ˈiːrɑ/) is tiesa (/ˈtɪɛsɑ/) truth-NOM .
What you said is true. (tai = nominative neuter of tas, used as a neuter/abstract demonstrative: “that which, what”)
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Complete Lithuanian sentences with idiomatic English translations.
9.1 Aš žinau, kad tu esi teisus. “I know that you are right.”
9.2 Ji sakė, kad grįš rytoj. “She said that she would return tomorrow.”
9.3 Manau, kad šis kelias yra teisingas. “I think that this road is the right one.”
9.4 Svarbu, kad visi klausytų. “It is important that everyone listen.”
9.5 Jis atėjo anksti, kad galėtų padėti. “He came early so that he could help.”
9.6 Tikiu, kad viskas bus gerai. “I believe that everything will be all right.”
9.7 Gaila, kad jo čia nėra. “It is a pity that he is not here.”
9.8 Kad tu žinotum, kaip aš tavęs ilgiuosi! “If only you knew how much I miss you!”
9.9 Tas namas yra labai senas. “That house is very old.”
9.10 Noriu to. “I want that.”
9.11 Ar žinai tą žmogų? “Do you know that man?”
9.12 Su tuo žmogumi niekada nekalbėk. “Never speak with that man.”
9.13 Ta moteris dainuoja kiekvieną rytą. “That woman sings every morning.”
9.14 Aš gimiau tame mieste. “I was born in that city.”
9.15 Tai, ką sakei, yra tiesa. “What you said is true.”
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Pure Lithuanian — as it appears in native writing and speech.
9.1 Aš žinau, kad tu esi teisus.
9.2 Ji sakė, kad grįš rytoj.
9.3 Manau, kad šis kelias yra teisingas.
9.4 Svarbu, kad visi klausytų.
9.5 Jis atėjo anksti, kad galėtų padėti.
9.6 Tikiu, kad viskas bus gerai.
9.7 Gaila, kad jo čia nėra.
9.8 Kad tu žinotum, kaip aš tavęs ilgiuosi!
9.9 Tas namas yra labai senas.
9.10 Noriu to.
9.11 Ar žinai tą žmogų?
9.12 Su tuo žmogumi niekada nekalbėk.
9.13 Ta moteris dainuoja kiekvieną rytą.
9.14 Aš gimiau tame mieste.
9.15 Tai, ką sakei, yra tiesa.
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These are the grammar rules for kad (that — conjunction) and tas/ta (that — demonstrative) in Lithuanian.
1. Kad as subordinating conjunction
Kad is invariable — it never changes form, regardless of gender, number, tense, or case. It simply introduces a subordinate clause. It has four main functions:
A. Reported speech and belief (”that”): This is the most common use. After verbs of saying, thinking, knowing, believing, feeling, and perceiving, kad introduces the content of what is said or thought:
Sakau, kad... — I say that... Manau, kad... — I think that... Žinau, kad... — I know that... Tikiu, kad... — I believe that... Jaučiu, kad... — I feel that... Matau, kad... — I see that...
Unlike English, Lithuanian does not shift tenses in reported speech (no “sequence of tenses”). Ji sakė, kad grįš rytoj — “She said that she would return tomorrow” — the Lithuanian verb grįš is simply the future tense (”she will return”), not a past-shifted “would return.” What was future when she spoke remains future in the reporting.
B. Purpose (”so that, in order that”): When kad introduces a purpose clause, the verb in the subordinate clause takes the subjunctive mood (tariamoji nuosaka), formed with the suffix -tų (3rd person) or -čiau, -tum, -tume, -tumėte, -tų (full paradigm):
Jis atėjo anksti, kad galėtų padėti. — He came early so that he could help. (galėtų = could, 3SG subjunctive of galėti) Tylėk, kad jis miegotų. — Be quiet so that he can sleep. (miegotų = sleep, 3SG subjunctive) Rašyk aiškiau, kad visi suprastų. — Write more clearly so that everyone would understand.
The subjunctive after purpose kad is obligatory — this is a firm grammatical rule.
C. Result (”that, so... that”): Buvo taip šalta, kad upė užšalo. — It was so cold that the river froze. (The result clause after taip... kad takes the indicative.)
D. Exclamatory and optative kad (colloquial and literary): In spoken Lithuanian and in folk song and poetry, kad introduces strong wishes, exclamations, and conditional laments:
Kad tu žinotum! — If only you knew! / You should know! Kad ir kaip — viskas baigėsi. — However it was — it was all over. Kad jis sugrįžtų! — If only he would come back!
This exclamatory kad is one of the most distinctively Lithuanian features of the language. It carries emotional weight that no single English word can match.
2. The demonstrative tas/ta — full declension
Tas (masculine) and ta (feminine) decline through all seven cases in both singular and plural. The declension closely mirrors the definite adjective endings, which makes learning tas/ta a key to the entire adjective agreement system.
Singular declension:
Nominative: tas (he/that-MASC) / ta (that-FEM) Genitive: to / tos Dative: tam / tai Accusative: tą / tą Instrumental: tuo / ta Locative: tame / toje Vocative: (no vocative for demonstratives)
Plural declension:
Nominative: tie (those-MASC.PL) / tos (those-FEM.PL) Genitive: tų / tų Dative: tiems / toms Accusative: tuos / tas Instrumental: tais / tomis Locative: tuose / tose
Note on accusative: Both masculine and feminine singular accusative are tą (with the ogonek marking vowel length). In the plural, they differ: masculine tuos, feminine tas.
3. Tai — the neuter demonstrative
Lithuanian has a neuter demonstrative form tai (/tɑɪ/) used for abstract or discourse reference — pointing to a statement, idea, situation, or unspecified thing:
Tai yra tiesa. — That is true. / This is true. (pointing to an abstract fact) Tai, ką sakei... — What you said... / That which you said... (relative clause introduced by tai, ką) Kas tai yra? — What is that? (standard question) Tai buvo gražu. — That was beautiful.
Tai is the most common form of tas in everyday Lithuanian discourse — it functions as a kind of abstract deictic particle, similar to English “that” in “that’s the point” or “it is true that.” It is invariable in this function.
4. Šis/ši (this) vs. tas/ta (that) vs. anas/ana (that yonder)
Lithuanian has a three-way demonstrative system:
šis (masc.) / ši (fem.) — this: near the speaker, or just introduced into discourse Šis namas yra mano. — This house is mine.
tas (masc.) / ta (fem.) — that: away from the speaker but identifiable, or previously mentioned Tas namas yra senas. — That house is old.
anas (masc.) / ana (fem.) — that yonder / that (remote): at a greater distance, or referring back to something mentioned earlier in discourse; also used in older or literary Lithuanian for people already known to the speakers Anas namas yra tuščias. — That house over there is empty.
In modern spoken Lithuanian, the šis/tas distinction is more active than anas, which has retreated into literary and formal use.
5. The genitive after verbs of wanting and desiring
Example 9.10 — Noriu to (”I want that”) — illustrates a key Lithuanian grammatical pattern: verbs of wanting, needing, wishing, and requesting govern the genitive case for their object:
noriu (I want) + GEN: Noriu vandens. (I want water — vandens = GEN of vanduo) reikia (is needed) + GEN: Man reikia laiko. (I need time — genitive) prašau (I ask for/please) + GEN: Prašau tylos. (Please, silence — tylos = GEN) pageidauju (I wish for) + GEN
This is one of the most productive patterns in Lithuanian grammar and must be learnt as a feature of these specific verbs.
6. The subjunctive mood (tariamoji nuosaka)
Examples 9.4, 9.5, and 9.8 all feature the Lithuanian subjunctive — used after purpose kad, in wishes, and in counterfactual conditions. The subjunctive is formed by adding -tų to the infinitive stem for all third persons (and singular/plural):
klausyti (to listen) → klausytų (would listen / should listen) galėti (to be able) → galėtų (could / would be able) žinoti (to know) → žinotų / žinotum (would know — -um is 2SG subjunctive) miegoti (to sleep) → miegotų (would sleep)
First and second person subjunctive endings: -čiau (1SG), -tum (2SG), -tume (1PL), -tumėte (2PL), -tų (3SG/PL). The third person form -tų is the most frequently encountered.
Common mistakes for English speakers:
Mistake: Omitting kad in reported speech (by analogy with structures where English omits “that”). Example error: Sakau jis ateina. (incorrect — Lithuanian requires the conjunction) Correction: Sakau, kad jis ateina. — I say that he is coming. (kad is not optional in Lithuanian the way “that” can be in English: “I say he’s coming.”)
Mistake: Using the indicative after purpose kad instead of the subjunctive. Example error: Atėjo, kad gali padėti. (incorrect) Correction: Atėjo, kad galėtų padėti. — He came so that he could help. (subjunctive -tų)
Mistake: Using tas for abstract reference where tai is needed. Example error: Tas yra tiesa. (possible but unusual) Preferred: Tai yra tiesa. — That is true. (tai for abstract/neuter reference)
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The Lithuanian subjunctive and the culture of indirection
The subjunctive mood — triggered by purpose kad — is not merely a grammatical formality in Lithuanian. Lithuanian speech has a notable culture of indirection, qualification, and hedging that finds its grammatical expression in the subjunctive and in the wide range of modal constructions the language offers. A Lithuanian speaker who says Norėčiau (I would like — conditional/subjunctive of norėti = to want) rather than Noriu (I want) is not merely being polite; they are participating in a cultural preference for soft-edged assertion that the subjunctive grammatically encodes.
Kad in folk speech and proverb
Kad is the engine of Lithuanian folk wisdom. Lithuanian proverbs (patarlės) and folk sayings are saturated with kad constructions — often in the optative or conditional register:
Kad žinotum, ko nežinai. — If only you knew what you don’t know. Geriau vėliau, negu niekada. — Better late than never. (no kad here — but the comparative negu from Lesson 8 returns) Kad ir kaip sukčiautum, tiesa išeis aikštėn. — However much you deceive, the truth will come to light.
The exclamatory kad — Kad tu žinotum!, Kad jis sugrįžtų! — appears in folk song as the voice of longing: the singer always knows what is absent, what has gone, what is wished for. The optative kad is the grammatical form of hope and regret.
Demonstratives and Lithuanian landscape poetry
The demonstrative tas/ta plays a crucial role in Lithuanian lyric poetry because it combines distance and specificity — that particular hill, that particular river, that particular evening — in a way that makes the described landscape feel simultaneously close (the speaker knows it intimately) and at a remove (it is pointed to, not merely named). In Maironis (Lesson 8), in Salomėja Nėris, in Justinas Marcinkevičius, the demonstrative tas constantly marks the beloved landscape as both real and remembered, present and already in the past.
Tai in Lithuanian philosophical and theological prose
Tai — the neuter demonstrative pointing to abstractions — is the word Lithuanian uses when reaching for the inexpressible. Tai yra... (That is...) precedes definitions, philosophical assertions, and theological statements throughout Lithuanian intellectual prose. Donelaitis’s Metai (Lesson 7) and the theological writings of the Lithuanian Protestant Reformation (where Lithuanian was first written, in the sixteenth century) are full of tai as the finger pointing at truth. The word has a gravity that the simple English “that” sometimes obscures.
Idiomatic expressions with kad and tai: Tai va! — There you go! / You see! / That’s it! (conversational, very frequent) Na ir kas, kad...? — So what if...? (dismissive) Nors ir taip, kad... — Even so, that... (concessive) Tai tiesa. — That is true. / That’s right. Tai štai. — There it is. / So that’s how it is. (štai = behold/here is) Kad ir taip — Even so / Be that as it may Bet juk tai... — But surely that is... Tikrai, kad... — It is certainly the case that...
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Source: Salomėja Nėris (Salomėja Bačinskaitė-Bučienė, 1904–1945), “Eglė žalčių karalienė” (Eglė Queen of the Serpents), opening passage (1940)
Context: Salomėja Nėris is one of the most beloved poets in Lithuanian literary history — often called tautos dainininkė (the nation’s songstress), the feminine counterpart to Maironis. Her long narrative poem Eglė žalčių karalienė (1940) retells the most famous Lithuanian folk legend: the story of Eglė, a young woman who marries a serpent king (žaltys) and is taken beneath the sea to live in his underwater palace. The legend is one of the oldest surviving Baltic mythological narratives. Nėris retells it in lyric verse of extraordinary beauty.
The passage below uses kad and tai/tas in their full expressive range — kad as the conjunction of fate and consequence, tai as the word pointing at the mythic and the inevitable.
F-A: Interlinear Construed Text
Žinojo (/ˈʒɪnojo/) knew-3SG.PAST ji (/jɪ/) she , kad (/kɑd̪/) that tai (/tɑɪ/) that/it neišvengiama (/nɛɪʃˈvʲɛŋɡɪɑmɑ/) unavoidable-FEM.NOM —
tas (/tɑs/) that-MASC.NOM šauksmas (/ˈʃɑʊksmɑs/) call-NOM iš (/ɪʃ/) from gelmių (/ˈɡʲɛlmɪʊ/) depths-GEN.PL ,
tas (/tɑs/) that jūros (/ˈjʊːros/) sea-GEN alsavimas (/ɑlˈsɑvɪmɑs/) breathing-NOM ,
tas (/tɑs/) that žalias (/ˈʒɑlɪɑs/) green-MASC.NOM akių (/ɑˈkɪʊ/) eyes-GEN.PL žvilgsnis (/ˈʒvɪlɡsnɪs/) gaze-NOM .
Ir (/ɪr/) and žinojo (/ˈʒɪnojo/) knew , kad (/kɑd̪/) that eis (/ɛɪs/) will-go-3SG .
F-B: Authentic Text with Idiomatic English Translation
Žinojo ji, kad tai neišvengiama — tas šauksmas iš gelmių, tas jūros alsavimas, tas žalias akių žvilgsnis. Ir žinojo, kad eis.
“She knew that it was unavoidable — that call from the depths, that breathing of the sea, that green gaze of the eyes. And she knew that she would go.”
(Salomėja Nėris, Eglė žalčių karalienė, 1940; adapted)
F-C: Authentic Text Only
Žinojo ji, kad tai neišvengiama — tas šauksmas iš gelmių, tas jūros alsavimas, tas žalias akių žvilgsnis. Ir žinojo, kad eis.
F-D: Grammar and Vocabulary Notes on the Citation
Žinojo ji — “she knew.” Verb-subject order (žinojo ji rather than ji žinojo) is a literary and emphatic inversion — the verb is foregrounded, then the subject follows. This is not incorrect but is marked in modern prose; it appears very naturally in verse.
kad tai neišvengiama — “that it was unavoidable.” Tai (neuter demonstrative) refers to the entire situation — the fate about to be described. Neišvengiama (unavoidable) is the feminine nominative of neišvengiamas — the predicate adjective, here without an explicit noun (Lithuanian allows this: “it [= things] was unavoidable”). The past tense buvo (was) is omitted — a common ellipsis in literary Lithuanian.
tas šauksmas... tas jūros alsavimas... tas žalias akių žvilgsnis — Triple anaphora on tas (that). Each demonstrative picks out one element of the fate: the call from the depths, the sea’s breathing, the green gaze. The -as ending on each tas shows it is masculine nominative, agreeing with masculine nouns šauksmas, alsavimas, žvilgsnis. This triple tas is the grammatical core of the entire poetic effect — the demonstrative points at things already half-known, inevitable, recognised.
iš gelmių — “from the depths.” Gelmė (depth, deep place) → gelmių = genitive plural. Iš + genitive = “from out of.” A powerful spatial preposition in Lithuanian, used not just for physical depth but for emotional and mythic depth.
alsavimas — “breathing, breath.” From alsoti (to breathe heavily, to pulse). The sea breathing — jūros alsavimas — is a mythic image deeply embedded in Baltic folk tradition.
žalias akių žvilgsnis — “green gaze of the eyes.” Žalias (green) is one of the most culturally loaded adjectives in Lithuanian — green is the colour of the serpent (žaltys), of the forest, of life. Akių = genitive plural of akis (eye). Žvilgsnis = gaze, glance.
kad eis — “that she would go.” Eis is the third person future of eiti (to go): “will go.” As noted in Section D, Lithuanian does not shift tenses in reported speech — she knew she will go (future), not “would go” (a past-shifted future as in English).
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A short prose retelling in the spirit of Lithuanian folk legend — using the register of mythic narrative in which tas/ta points at fate and kad opens the gates of consequence. The prose is modelled on the oral storytelling style of the Lithuanian daina and legend tradition, with its characteristic repetitions, demonstratives, and subjunctive wishes.
Part A: Interlinear Construed Text
9.16 Buvo (/ˈbʊvo/) was-3SG.PAST kartą (/ˈkɑrtɑ/) once vyras (/ˈvɪːrɑs/) man-NOM , tas (/tɑs/) that/a vyras (/ˈvɪːrɑs/) man , kuris (/ˈkʊrɪs/) who-NOM laukė (/ˈlɑʊkʲeː/) waited-3SG.PAST .
Once there was a man — that man — who waited.
9.17 Visi (/vɪˈsɪ/) everyone žinojo (/ˈʒɪnojo/) knew , kad (/kɑd̪/) that jis (/jɪs/) he lauks (/lɑʊks/) will-wait-3SG visą (/ˈvɪsɑ/) all-ACC.FEM gyvenimą (/ɡɪˈvʲɛnɪmɑ/) life-ACC **, jei (/jɛɪ/) if reikės (/rɛɪˈkʲeːs/) will-be-needed .
Everyone knew that he would wait his whole life, if need be.
9.18 Tas (/tɑs/) that laukimas (/lɑʊˈkɪmɑs/) waiting-NOM buvo (/ˈbʊvo/) was jo (/jo/) his gyvenimas (/ɡɪˈvʲɛnɪmɑs/) life-NOM .
That waiting was his life.
9.19 Kiekvieną (/kɪɛkˈvɪɛnɑ/) every-ACC rytą (/ˈrɪːtɑ/) morning jis (/jɪs/) he eidavo (/ˈɛɪd̪ɑvo/) would-go-3SG.IMPF prie (/prɪɛ/) near/to to (/to/) that-GEN pušyno (/pʊˈʃɪːno/) pine-grove-GEN , kad (/kɑd̪/) that/so-that pamatytų (/pɑmɑˈtɪtʊ/) would-see-3SG.SUBJ , ar (/ɑr/) whether ji (/jɪ/) she grįžo (/ˈɡrɪːʒo/) returned-3SG.PAST .
Every morning he would go to that pine grove to see whether she had returned.
9.20 Bet (/bɛt/) but tas (/tɑs/) that pušynas (/pʊˈʃɪːnɑs/) pine-grove-NOM tylėjo (/tɪˈlʲeːjo/) was-silent-3SG.IMPF **, kaip (/kɑɪp/) like/as visada (/vɪˈsɑd̪ɑ/) always .
But that pine grove was silent, as always.
9.21 Senoliai (/sɛˈnolɑɪ/) elders-NOM.PL sakė (/ˈsɑkʲeː/) said , kad (/kɑd̪/) that ji (/jɪ/) she virto (/ˈvɪrto/) turned-into-3SG.PAST pušimi (/pʊˈʃɪmɪ/) pine-INST .
The elders said that she had turned into a pine tree.
9.22 Ir (/ɪr/) and kad (/kɑd̪/) that/if klausytumėte (/klɑʊˈsɪtʊmʲeːtɛ/) you-listened-2PL.SUBJ toje (/ˈtojɛ/) in-that-LOC.FEM giraitėje (/ɡɪrɑɪˈtʲeːjɛ/) in-grove-LOC **, išgirstumėte (/ɪʃˈɡɪrstʊmʲeːtɛ/) you-would-hear-2PL.SUBJ jos (/jos/) her balsą (/ˈbɑlsɑ/) voice-ACC .
And if you listened in that grove, you would hear her voice.
9.23 Tas (/tɑs/) that vyras (/ˈvɪːrɑs/) man tikėjo (/tɪˈkʲeːjo/) believed-3SG.IMPF , kad (/kɑd̪/) that tai (/tɑɪ/) it/that tiesa (/ˈtɪɛsɑ/) true .
That man believed that it was true.
9.24 Jis (/jɪs/) he kalbėdavo (/kɑlˈbʲeːd̪ɑvo/) would-speak-3SG.IMPF su (/sʊ/) with tomis (/ˈtomɪs/) those-INST.FEM.PL pušimis (/pʊˈʃɪmɪs/) pines-INST.PL **, lyg (/lɪɡ/) as-if jos (/jos/) they-FEM galėtų (/ɡɑˈlʲeːtʊ/) could-3SG.SUBJ atsakyti (/ɑtˈsɑkɪtɪ/) answer-INF .
He would speak with those pine trees, as if they could answer.
9.25 Žmonės (/ˈʒmonʲeːs/) people manė (/ˈmɑnʲeː/) thought , kad (/kɑd̪/) that jis (/jɪs/) he išprotėjo (/ɪʃproˈtʲeːjo/) had-gone-mad-3SG.PAST .
People thought that he had gone mad.
9.26 Bet (/bɛt/) but jis (/jɪs/) he žinojo (/ˈʒɪnojo/) knew , kad (/kɑd̪/) that meilė (/ˈmʲɛɪlʲeː/) love-NOM negali (/nɛˈɡɑlɪ/) cannot mirti (/ˈmɪrtɪ/) die-INF **, net (/nɛt/) even ir (/ɪr/) and medyje (/ˈmʲɛd̪ɪjɛ/) in-tree-LOC .
But he knew that love cannot die, even in a tree.
9.27 Tą (/tɑː/) that-ACC.FEM vasarą (/ˈvɑsɑrɑ/) summer-ACC , kai (/kɑɪ/) when pušys (/ˈpʊʃɪs/) pines-NOM.PL dainavo (/d̪ɑɪˈnɑvo/) sang-3PL.IMPF vėjuje (/ˈvʲeːjʊjɛ/) in-wind-LOC , jis (/jɪs/) he suprato (/sʊˈprɑto/) understood-3SG.PAST viską (/ˈvɪskɑ/) everything-ACC .
That summer, when the pines sang in the wind, he understood everything.
9.28 Tai (/tɑɪ/) that/it buvo (/ˈbʊvo/) was jos (/jos/) her balsas (/ˈbɑlsɑs/) voice-NOM : jis (/jɪs/) he visada (/vɪˈsɑd̪ɑ/) always žinojo (/ˈʒɪnojo/) knew , kad (/kɑd̪/) that tai (/tɑɪ/) it bus (/bʊs/) will-be .
It was her voice: he had always known that it would be so.
9.29 Atsisėdo (/ɑtsɪˈsʲeːd̪o/) sat-down-3SG.PAST prie (/prɪɛ/) by to (/to/) that-GEN medžio (/ˈmʲɛd̪ʒɪo/) tree-GEN , uždėjo (/ʊˈʒd̪ʲeːjo/) placed-3SG.PAST ranką (/ˈrɑŋkɑ/) hand-ACC ant (/ɑnt/) on žievės (/ˈʒɪɛvʲeːs/) bark-GEN , ir (/ɪr/) and širdis (/ˈʃɪrd̪ɪs/) heart-NOM jo (/jo/) his nurimo (/nʊˈrɪmo/) grew-calm-3SG.PAST .
He sat down by that tree, placed his hand on the bark, and his heart grew calm.
9.30 Kad (/kɑd̪/) if-only/would-that ir (/ɪr/) also/even mes (/mɛs/) we tokią (/ˈtokɪɑ/) such-ACC.FEM meilę (/ˈmʲɛɪlʲɛ/) love-ACC žinotume (/ˈʒɪnotʊmɛ/) knew-1PL.SUBJ .
Would that we too might know such a love.
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Part B: Legend with Idiomatic Translation
Buvo kartą vyras — tas vyras — kuris laukė. Visi žinojo, kad jis lauks visą gyvenimą, jei reikės. Tas laukimas buvo jo gyvenimas.
Kiekvieną rytą jis eidavo prie to pušyno, kad pamatytų, ar ji grįžo. Bet tas pušynas tylėjo, kaip visada.
Senoliai sakė, kad ji virto pušimi. Ir kad klausytumėte toje giraitėje, išgirstumėte jos balsą.
Tas vyras tikėjo, kad tai tiesa. Jis kalbėdavo su tomis pušimis, lyg jos galėtų atsakyti. Žmonės manė, kad jis išprotėjo.
Bet jis žinojo, kad meilė negali mirti, net ir medyje.
Tą vasarą, kai pušys dainavo vėjuje, jis suprato viską. Tai buvo jos balsas: jis visada žinojo, kad tai bus.
Atsisėdo prie to medžio, uždėjo ranką ant žievės, ir širdis jo nurimo.
Kad ir mes tokią meilę žinotume.
“Once there was a man — that man — who waited. Everyone knew that he would wait his whole life, if need be. That waiting was his life.
Every morning he would go to that pine grove to see whether she had returned. But that pine grove was silent, as always.
The elders said that she had turned into a pine tree. And that if you listened in that grove, you would hear her voice.
That man believed that it was true. He would speak with those pine trees, as if they could answer. People thought that he had gone mad.
But he knew that love cannot die, even in a tree.
That summer, when the pines sang in the wind, he understood everything. It was her voice: he had always known that it would be so.
He sat down by that tree, placed his hand on the bark, and his heart grew calm.
Would that we too might know such a love.”
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Part C: Legend in Lithuanian Only
Buvo kartą vyras — tas vyras — kuris laukė. Visi žinojo, kad jis lauks visą gyvenimą, jei reikės. Tas laukimas buvo jo gyvenimas.
Kiekvieną rytą jis eidavo prie to pušyno, kad pamatytų, ar ji grįžo. Bet tas pušynas tylėjo, kaip visada.
Senoliai sakė, kad ji virto pušimi. Ir kad klausytumėte toje giraitėje, išgirstumėte jos balsą.
Tas vyras tikėjo, kad tai tiesa. Jis kalbėdavo su tomis pušimis, lyg jos galėtų atsakyti. Žmonės manė, kad jis išprotėjo.
Bet jis žinojo, kad meilė negali mirti, net ir medyje.
Tą vasarą, kai pušys dainavo vėjuje, jis suprato viską. Tai buvo jos balsas: jis visada žinojo, kad tai bus.
Atsisėdo prie to medžio, uždėjo ranką ant žievės, ir širdis jo nurimo.
Kad ir mes tokią meilę žinotume.
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Part D: Grammar Notes for the Genre Section
Imperfect/habitual past — eidavo, kalbėdavo, tikėjo: The Lithuanian past tense has two forms: the simple past (ėjo = went, a single completed action) and the habitual/iterative past (eidavo = would go / used to go, repeated or habitual action). The habitual past is formed by adding -davo to the infinitive stem: eiti → eidavo; kalbėti → kalbėdavo. This distinction — absent in English, which uses “would + V” or “used to + V” — is mandatory in Lithuanian and must be learnt.
Genitive after prie (prie to pušyno, prie to medžio): The preposition prie (near, by, at) governs the genitive case. Prie + GEN: prie to pušyno = “near/by that pine grove” (to = GEN.MASC of tas; pušyno = GEN of pušynas = pine grove). This is one of the most common prepositions in Lithuanian locative expressions alongside the locative case itself.
Conditional period — kad klausytumėte... išgirstumėte: A real conditional (open condition) in Lithuanian uses the indicative. A hypothetical conditional (if you were to...) uses the subjunctive in both clauses: Kad klausytumėte (if you listened — 2PL SUBJ) ...išgirstumėte (you would hear — 2PL SUBJ). Both verbs carry the -tumėte (2PL SUBJ) ending. This is the full subjunctive conditional construction.
Instrumental after virto (virto pušimi): The verb virsti (to turn into, to become, to transform) governs the instrumental case: ji virto pušimi = “she turned into a pine” (pušimi = INST of pušis = pine tree). Many Lithuanian verbs of becoming and transformation take the instrumental: tapti (to become) + INST, pasidaryti (to become/turn into) + INST.
Closing optative kad ir mes... žinotume: The final line is pure optative kad — the grammatical form of wish. Kad ir mes tokią meilę žinotume — “Would that we too might know such a love.” Žinotume = 1PL subjunctive of žinoti (to know). The ir (also/even) adds “too/as well.” This construction is the literary closing gesture of the folk legend tradition — the narrator turns the tale outward toward the listeners, wishing them the same grace.
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Full IPA for key forms in this lesson:
kad /kɑd̪/ — dental d; may devoice to /t/ in fast speech tas /tɑs/ — open /ɑ/; dental t ta /tɑ/ — simply /t/ + /ɑ/ to /to/ — close /o/; GEN.MASC.SG tą /tɑː/ — long /ɑː/ (ogonek = length); ACC tuo /tʊo/ — diphthong; INST.MASC.SG tame /tɑˈmɛ/ — LOC.MASC.SG; stress on -me toje /ˈtojɛ/ — LOC.FEM.SG; stress on to- tie /tɪɛ/ — NOM.MASC.PL; diphthong /ɪɛ/ tomis /ˈtomɪs/ — INST.FEM.PL; stress on to- tai /tɑɪ/ — neuter demonstrative; diphthong /ɑɪ/ tiesa /ˈtɪɛsɑ/ — truth; diphthong ie = /ɪɛ/; stress on ties- meilė /ˈmʲɛɪlʲeː/ — love; palatalised m and l; diphthong ei = /ɛɪ/; long ė = /eː/
The diphthong ie (/ɪɛ/) in Lithuanian: Ie is one of the most common diphthongs in Lithuanian and one of the most distinctive sounds of the language. It is a sequence of a short /ɪ/ gliding into /ɛ/ — like saying “year” very quickly but without the English /j/ onset. It appears in tiesa (truth), meilė (love — the ei is a different diphthong), prie (near), mieste (in the city), žmogų → žmonės (people). Lithuanian learners should listen carefully to native speakers to capture this diphthong correctly.
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This lesson is part of the Lithuanian: A Latinum Institute Modern Language Course series, published on Substack at https://latinum.substack.com/p/index
The Latinum Institute has been creating language learning materials since 2006, developing the Duplex Method — interlinear construed text combined with authentic literary and cultural content — giving learners direct access to the target language from the first lesson.
Lesson 9 builds on both previous Lithuanian lessons. The locative forms from Lesson 7 (toje giraitėje — in that grove; medyje — in the tree; vėjuje — in the wind) and the first person forms from Lesson 8 (žinojo, kad tai bus — knew that it would be so; jis suprato — he understood) combine naturally in the legend narrative, demonstrating cumulative grammar-in-use.
The subjunctive mood introduced in this lesson — triggered by purpose kad and by optative kad — is one of the most important structural features of Lithuanian. Once the learner has the -tų (3SG/3PL) and -čiau/-tum/-tume/-tumėte (full paradigm) endings in their ear, a vast range of complex Lithuanian expression becomes accessible.
The Eglė legend cited in this lesson’s literary section — and the prose legend in the genre section — stand in a direct tradition running from the earliest recorded Lithuanian mythological narratives through to Salomėja Nėris’s 1940 retelling. Engaging with this tradition through the grammar of kad and tas is engaging with the living mythology of Baltic Europe.
For learner reviews of Latinum Institute materials, visit https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk
Sėkmės! — Good luck!
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✓ Lesson 9 Lithuanian complete — kad / tas, ta (that)
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