vos / vos tik
Barely and as Soon as with Vos
Vos means barely or only just: Vos spėjau į traukinį. (I barely caught the train.) Vos tik at the start of a clause means as soon as: Vos tik jis atėjo, pradėjo lyti. (As soon as he arrived, it started to rain.)
How It Works
1. Barely: vos + verb
- Vos girdžiu tave. (I can barely hear you.)
- Po darbo vos laikausi ant kojų. (After work I can barely stand.)
2. Only: vos + an amount
- Salėje buvo vos dešimt žmonių. (There were barely ten people in the hall.)
- Jai vos penkeri metai. (She is only five.)
Vos also goes before adjectives and participles: vos girdimas balsas (a barely audible voice).
3. As soon as: vos tik
Put vos tik and a clause first, then a comma, then the main clause. Vos alone can do the same job, and kai tik means the same thing. When both events are still in the future, both clauses normally use the future tense: Vos tik grįšiu, paskambinsiu. (As soon as I get back, I will call.) English uses the present in the first clause, while this Lithuanian example uses the future. See The Future Tense.
4. Vos ne vos
Vos ne vos means with great difficulty: Vos ne vos užlipome į kalną. (We only just managed to climb the hill.) It is written as three separate words.
Do not confuse
- Vos + a verb with ne- means almost: Vos nepavėlavau. (I was almost late.) See Almost With Vos Ne-.
- Ką tik means a moment ago. See Just Now With Ką Tik.
Examples (6)
- Vos spėjau į traukinį.
I barely caught the train.
Word by Word: Barely made-it to train.
- Vos girdžiu tave.
I can barely hear you.
Word by Word: Barely I-hear you.
- Salėje buvo vos dešimt žmonių.
There were barely ten people in the hall.
Word by Word: In-hall were barely ten of-people.
- Jai vos penkeri metai.
She is only five years old.
Word by Word: To-her barely five years.
Age uses the dative and the plural-only noun metai, so the number is penkeri.
- Vos tik jis atėjo, pradėjo lyti.
As soon as he arrived, it started to rain.
Word by Word: Barely just he came, began to-rain.
- Vos tik grįšiu namo, tau paskambinsiu.
As soon as I get home, I will call you.
Word by Word: Barely just I-will-return home, to-you I-will-call.
Both clauses are about the future, so both verbs are in the future tense.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out the comma between the clauses.
Vos tik jis atėjo pradėjo lyti.Vos tik jis atėjo, pradėjo lyti.A vos tik clause is a separate clause, so a comma must separate it from the main clause.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Vos can mean barely, while vos tik introduces an immediately preceding event.
Related Patterns
- vos ne-Almost with Vos Ne-
Vos with a negated verb means almost, the opposite side of a close call.
Level 5 - ką tikJust Now with Ką Tik
Ką tik means a moment ago; do not mix it up with vos tik.
Level 4 - tikOnly with Tik
Tik on its own means only; vos adds the sense of barely.
Level 3 - Future -s-The Future Tense
The future tense is the usual choice for a specific future event in a vos tik clause.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice vos / vos tik in Bubblegum
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