galima + infinitive
Allowed and Not Allowed
Galima + infinitive = it is allowed: Ar galima įeiti? Negalima + infinitive = it is not allowed: Čia negalima rūkyti.
How It Works
Galima means one may or it is possible. Like šalta and gražu, it has no subject, so it never changes for person. The action comes after it as an infinitive.
1. Permission.
- Ar galima įeiti? (May I come in?)
- Čia negalima rūkyti. (Smoking is not allowed here.)
A short Galima? on its own is a polite way to ask May I?
2. Possibility. Galima can also mean it can be done: Bilietus galima nusipirkti internetu. (Tickets can be bought online.)
3. The negative is one word. Ne- is joined to galima, just as it is joined to verbs: negalima.
4. Saying who. Put the person in the dative, as in man šalta: Ar man galima paimti šią kėdę? (May I take this chair?) Vaikams čia negalima maudytis. (Children may not swim here.)
5. Past and future. Add buvo or bus: buvo galima (it was possible), nebuvo galima (it was not possible), bus galima (it will be possible).
Galima or galiu? Galima talks about what is allowed or possible in general. To say what a person is able to do, use galėti or mokėti: Galiu padėti. (I can help.) Moku plaukti. (I can swim.)
Examples (6)
- Ar galima įeiti?
May I come in?
Word by Word: Q is-it-allowed to-enter?
Ar makes it a question. Nobody is named, but the context normally makes it a request for the speaker to enter.
- Čia negalima rūkyti.
Smoking is not allowed here.
Word by Word: Here not-allowed to-smoke.
Negalima is written as one word.
- Ar galima sumokėti kortele?
Can I pay by card?
Word by Word: Q is-possible to-pay by-card?
- Bilietus galima nusipirkti internetu.
Tickets can be bought online.
Word by Word: Tickets is-possible to-buy by-internet.
Here galima means that something is possible, not that someone gives permission.
- Vaikams čia negalima maudytis.
Children may not swim here.
Word by Word: To-children here not-allowed to-bathe.
Vaikams is dative plural. It shows who is not allowed.
- Vakar nebuvo galima važiuoti, nes buvo daug sniego.
Yesterday it was impossible to drive because there was a lot of snow.
Word by Word: Yesterday not-was possible to-drive, because was much snow.
Nebuvo galima is the past of negalima.
Common Mistakes
Putting the person in the accusative.
Ar mane galima įeiti?Ar man galima įeiti?The person who is allowed goes in the dative: man, tau, jam, jai.
Using galima to ask about a skill.
Ar tau galima plaukti?Ar moki plaukti?The speaker wants to know whether the person can swim. Galima asks whether swimming is allowed. For a skill, use mokėti: Ar moki plaukti?
How It Connects
Learn This First
Galima introduces an allowed action without a nominative subject.
Related Patterns
- norėti / galėti / mokėti + infinitiveWant, Can and Know How with an Infinitive
Galėti and mokėti say what a person can do; galima says what is allowed or possible.
Level 1 - man reikiaNeeding with Reikia
Reikia has the same subjectless shape, with a dative person and an infinitive.
Level 2 - šalta / gražuNeuter Words for States
Galima is one of these neuter state words that have no subject.
Level 2 - Dative With State Words
The person who is allowed goes in the dative, as with man šalta.
Level 2 - ne- + verbNegation with Ne-
Ne- is joined directly to galima, as it is to verbs.
Level 1 - verta + infinitiveWorth Doing with Verta
Verta is another subjectless word followed by an infinitive.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice galima + infinitive in Bubblegum
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