Adverbs in -ai

Level 2

Take an adjective and swap its ending for -ai: geras → gerai (well), greitas → greitai (quickly), gražus → gražiai (beautifully).

How It Works

Forming adverbs

  • -as → -ai: geras → gerai (well), greitas → greitai (quickly), lėtas → lėtai (slowly), blogas → blogai (badly)
  • -us → -iai: gražus → gražiai (beautifully), tylus → tyliai (quietly), garsus → garsiai (loudly)
  • Before the adverb ending -iai, t changes to č and d to dž: platus → plačiai (widely), saldus → saldžiai (sweetly)
  • -iškas → -iškai: lietuviškas → lietuviškai (in Lithuanian). See Naming and Speaking Languages.

Adverb or state word?
A neuter form like gražu describes a situation: Čia gražu. (It is nice here.) An adverb describes how someone does something: Ji gražiai dainuoja. (She sings beautifully.) See Neuter Words for States.

Gerai on its own
Gerai! also means OK or all right, as an answer.

To say better or faster, adverbs have their own comparative forms, like geriau. See Comparing Adverbs.

Examples (6)

  1. Tu labai gerai kalbi lietuviškai.

    You speak Lithuanian very well.

    Word by Word: You very well speak Lithuanian-ly.

  2. Prašau, kalbėkite lėtai.

    Please speak slowly.

    Word by Word: Please, speak slowly.

  3. Ji gražiai dainuoja.

    She sings beautifully.

    Word by Word: She beautifully sings.

    Gražus ends in -us, so the adverb is gražiai.

  4. Vaikai greitai bėga.

    The children run fast.

    Word by Word: Children quickly run.

  5. Kalbėk tyliai, vaikas miega.

    Speak quietly, the child is sleeping.

    Word by Word: Speak quietly, child sleeps.

  6. – Ar ateisi? – Gerai!

    Will you come? OK!

    Word by Word: Q you-will-come? Well!

    On its own, gerai means OK.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the adjective instead of the adverb after a verb.

    Jis kalba greitas.
    Jis kalba greitai.

    Greitas describes a person or thing. To describe how someone speaks, use the adverb greitai.

  • Using the neuter state word instead of the adverb.

    Ji dainuoja gražu.
    Ji dainuoja gražiai.

    Gražu describes a situation, as in Čia gražu. How someone sings needs the adverb gražiai.

  • Dropping the i in adverbs from -us adjectives.

    Ji šoka gražai.
    Ji šoka gražiai.

    Adjectives in -us form adverbs in -iai: gražus becomes gražiai.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Adverbs in -aiLevel 2

Learn This First

Adverbs in -ai describe actions and do not agree with nouns.