Commands: -k, -kite

Commands with -k and -kite

Level 3

Drop -ti from the infinitive and add -k or -kite: sakyti → Sakyk! (Tell me!), Sakykite!; palaukti → Palauk! (Wait!).

How It Works

How to form it (infinitive → tu, jūs)

  • sakyti (say) → sakyk, sakykite
  • eiti (go) → eik, eikite
  • būti (be) → būk, būkite
  • duoti (give) → duok, duokite
  • laukti (wait) → lauk, laukite
  • bėgti (run) → bėk, bėkite

The command is built from the infinitive stem, not the present, so skaityti gives skaityk.

Reflexive verbs
Without a prefix, the reflexive ending goes at the end: sėstis → Sėskis!, Sėskitės! With a prefix, -si- stays inside: atsisėsti → Atsisėsk!, Atsisėskite! See Reflexive -si- After a Prefix.

Being polite
Use -kite with anyone you call jūs: Užeikite, prašom. (Come in, please.) Adding prašau or prašom softens a command. See Informal Tu and Polite Jūs and Please and You Are Welcome.

In speech
-kite is often shortened to -kit: Žiūrėkit! A form ending in -ki belongs to poetry.

For let's, see Let's With -kime. For don't, see Negative Commands.

Examples (6)

  1. Palauk minutėlę!

    Wait a minute!

    Word by Word: Wait minute!

    Palaukti ends in -kti, so only one k is written: palauk.

  2. Sakyk, kur tu gyveni?

    Tell me, where do you live?

    Word by Word: Tell, where you live?

  3. Užeikite, prašom.

    Come in, please.

    Word by Word: Come-in, please.

  4. Atsisėskite, prašau.

    Please sit down.

    Word by Word: Sit-down, please.

    Atsisėsti keeps -si- after the prefix, so the ending is just -kite.

  5. Būk gera, padėk man.

    Please be kind and help me.

    Word by Word: Be good, help me.

    Said to a woman. To a man, say Būk geras.

  6. Duokite, prašau, du bilietus.

    Two tickets, please.

    Word by Word: Give, please, two tickets.

Common Mistakes

  • Writing two k letters when the stem ends in k.

    Palaukk!
    Palauk!

    When the stem already ends in k, the command ending merges with it and only one k is written.

  • Building the command from the present tense.

    Skaitok garsiai!
    Skaityk garsiai!

    Commands come from the infinitive skaity-ti, not from the present skaito.

  • Using the tu form with someone you address politely.

    Užeik, pone.
    Užeikite, pone.

    When you have chosen to address someone as jūs, keep that agreement and use užeikite. Pone by itself does not force a particular pronoun.

How It Connects

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

Commands: -k, -kiteLevel 3Commands with -k and -kite

Learn This First

Commands are built from an infinitive stem and distinguish tu from jūs.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.