po + accusative
Around and Each with Po
Po + accusative has two jobs: all around a place (Vaikščiojome po miestą, We walked around the town) and each (Vaikai gavo po du obuolius, The children got two apples each).
How It Works
1. All around a place. With verbs of moving about, po + accusative means going here and there inside a place:
- Vaikščiojome po miestą. (We walked around the town.)
- Vasarą keliavome po Lietuvą. (In summer we traveled around Lithuania.)
- Žaislai išmėtyti po visą kambarį. (Toys are scattered all over the room.)
This is different from aplink, which can describe a route or position around something: aplink stalą (around the table).
2. So many each. Put po before a number to say that everyone gets the same amount:
- Vaikai gavo po du obuolius. (The children got two apples each.)
- Mokytoja išdalijo mokiniams po vieną lapą. (The teacher gave the students one sheet each.)
The number and noun are in the accusative. With ten, the teens and exact tens, the noun is genitive plural: po dešimt eurų (ten euros each).
3. Three cases, three meanings.
- po + genitive: po pamokų (after classes)
- po + accusative: po miestą (around the town), po du (two each)
- po + instrumental: po stalu (under the table)
The everyday phrase po truputį means little by little.
Examples (6)
- Vaikščiojome po miestą.
We walked around the town.
Miestą is accusative: moving here and there inside the town.
- Vasarą keliavome po Lietuvą.
In summer we traveled around Lithuania.
- Vaikai gavo po du obuolius.
The children got two apples each.
Word by Word: Children got each two apples.
Po + number means each. Du obuolius is accusative.
- Mokytoja išdalijo mokiniams po vieną lapą.
The teacher gave the students one sheet each.
- Visi sumokėjome po dešimt eurų.
We all paid ten euros each.
After dešimt the noun is in the genitive plural.
- Žaislai išmėtyti po visą kambarį.
Toys are scattered all over the room.
Common Mistakes
Using the genitive for movement around a place.
Vaikščiojome po miesto.Vaikščiojome po miestą.Po with the genitive means after. To say all around a place, use the accusative.
Leaving the noun after po + number in the nominative.
Vaikai gavo po du obuoliai.Vaikai gavo po du obuolius.Here du obuolius is accusative. Other numbers keep their own noun pattern, as in po dešimt obuolių.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Po with the accusative expresses movement around or distribution.
Related Patterns
- po + instrumentalUnder with Po
The same preposition with the instrumental means under.
Level 3 - aplink + accusativeAround with Aplink
Aplink can describe being or moving around something; po describes distribution or movement within an area.
Level 4 - per + accusativeThrough, Across and During with Per
Per also takes the accusative and means across or through a place.
Level 2 - dešimt / vienuolika + genitiveTen and Up with the Genitive
Ten, the teens and exact tens take a genitive plural noun, as in po dešimt eurų. A compound ending in du uses po dvidešimt du obuolius.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice po + accusative in Bubblegum
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