po to, kai
After with Po to, Kai
Before a whole clause, English after is po to, kai: Po to, kai baigiau darbą, nuėjau namo (After I finished work, I went home). Before a noun, use po + genitive: po darbo.
How It Works
1. The pattern. Po to, kai + clause, then the main clause. The order can also be reversed:
- Po to, kai baigiau darbą, nuėjau namo. (After I finished work, I went home.)
- Jis pasikeitė po to, kai susirgo. (He changed after he fell ill.)
2. Noun or clause? Before a noun, po takes the genitive: po darbo (after work), po pamokų (after lessons). See After With Po. Before a clause with its own verb, you need po to, kai.
3. Choosing the tense. For the past, use the past tense: Po to, kai svečiai išėjo, dar ilgai kalbėjomės (After the guests left, we talked for a long time). For the future, both clauses can use the future tense: Po to, kai baigsiu mokyklą, studijuosiu Vilniuje (After I finish school, I will study in Vilnius).
4. Po to alone. Without kai, po to means afterwards or then: Pavalgėme, o po to išėjome (We ate, and then we left).
5. Related ways to say it. The opposite is prieš tai, kai (before). When both actions have the same subject, a past participle is a shorter option: Baigęs darbą, nuėjau namo (Having finished work, I went home). See Past Active Participle.
Examples (5)
- Po to, kai baigiau darbą, nuėjau namo.
After I finished work, I went home.
Word by Word: After that, when finished work, went home.
- Paskambinsiu tau po to, kai grįšiu iš parduotuvės.
I will call you after I get back from the shop.
A future event, so grįšiu is in the future tense.
- Po to, kai baigsiu mokyklą, studijuosiu Vilniuje.
After I finish school, I will study in Vilnius.
- Jis pasikeitė po to, kai susirgo.
He changed after he fell ill.
- Po to, kai svečiai išėjo, dar ilgai kalbėjomės.
After the guests left, we talked for a long time.
Common Mistakes
Putting po directly before a clause.
Po kai baigiau darbą, nuėjau namo.Po to, kai baigiau darbą, nuėjau namo.Po is a preposition and needs a noun or pronoun. Before a clause, say po to, kai.
Using the present tense for a future event.
Po to, kai baigiu mokyklą, studijuosiu Vilniuje.Po to, kai baigsiu mokyklą, studijuosiu Vilniuje.Finishing school is still in the future, so Lithuanian uses the future tense in the po to, kai clause.
Leaving out the comma before kai.
Po to kai baigiau darbą nuėjau namo.Po to, kai baigiau darbą, nuėjau namo.In the pattern taught here, a comma precedes kai and another closes its clause. The original also lacks the necessary boundary before nuėjau namo.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Po to, kai introduces a finite clause naming an earlier event.
Related Patterns
- prieš tai, kaiBefore with Prieš Tai, Kai
Prieš tai, kai is the opposite: before.
Level 4 - kai tikAs Soon as with Kai Tik
Kai tik adds the idea of at once: as soon as.
Level 4 - Past Active Participle: -ęs, -usiPast Active Participle
A past participle such as baigęs is a shorter way to say after doing something.
Level 4 - Commas Before Subordinate Clauses
The po to, kai clause is separated by commas like other subordinate clauses.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice po to, kai in Bubblegum
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