vienas kitą
Each Other with Vienas Kitą
vienas (matches the subject) + kitas (case from the verb): myli vienas kitą, padeda vienas kitam, bijo vienas kito.
How It Works
1. The second word changes case. Choose the case of kitas the way you would for any object.
- mylėti + accusative: Jie myli vienas kitą.
- padėti + dative: Jie padeda vienas kitam.
- bijoti + genitive: Jie bijo vienas kito.
2. The first word matches the subject.
- Masculine or mixed participants, considered individually: vienas kitą
- Female participants, considered individually: viena kitą
- Plural alternative: vieni kitus, and for groups of women vienos kitas
3. Prepositions go in the middle. The preposition stands between the two words and governs kitas: vienas su kitu (with each other), vienas be kito (without each other), vieni apie kitus (about each other). In standard Lithuanian say vienas su kitu; su vienas kitu is heard but is not the standard form.
4. Each other or themselves? Save means oneself: Jie myli save means they love themselves. For each other, use vienas kitą.
5. Verbs in -si. Some reflexive verbs already mean each other, so they need no vienas kitą: Jie susitiko. (They met.) Jie bučiuojasi. (They are kissing.) See doing things to each other.
Examples (6)
- Jie myli vienas kitą.
They love each other.
Word by Word: They love one other.
- Mes padedame vieni kitiems.
We help each other.
Word by Word: We help ones to-others.
Padėti takes the dative, so kitas becomes kitiems.
- Mergaitės žiūrėjo viena į kitą.
The girls looked at each other.
Word by Word: Girls looked one at other.
Viena is feminine because the subject is girls; į comes between the two words.
- Brolis ir sesuo dažnai skambina vienas kitam.
The brother and sister often call each other.
Word by Word: Brother and sister often call one to-other.
- Jie negali gyventi vienas be kito.
They can't live without each other.
Word by Word: They cannot live one without other.
- Per atostogas daug sužinojome vieni apie kitus.
During the holiday we learned a lot about each other.
Word by Word: During holidays much we-learned ones about others.
Common Mistakes
Giving kitas the wrong case for the verb.
Jie padeda vienas kitą.Jie padeda vienas kitam.Padėti takes the dative, so the second word must be in the dative: kitam.
Using save when you mean each other.
Jie myli save.Jie myli vienas kitą.If you mean that each one loves the other, use vienas kitą. Jie myli save means that they love themselves.
Using the masculine form for two women.
Sesės padeda vienas kitai.Sesės padeda viena kitai.The first word agrees with the subject. The sisters are women, so say viena.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Vienas kitą expresses reciprocal participants with the second word carrying the required case.
Related Patterns
- Doing Things to Each Other
Some -si verbs mean each other on their own, without vienas kitą.
Level 3 - savęs / sau / saveThe Reflexive Pronoun Savęs
Save means oneself; vienas kitą means each other.
Level 3 - padėti / dėkoti / skambinti + dativeVerbs That Take the Dative
With these verbs the second word goes into the dative: vienas kitam.
Level 2 - su + instrumentalWith: Su
With su, the pattern becomes vienas su kitu.
Level 2 - The Seven Cases
The second word takes the case required by the verb or preposition.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice vienas kitą in Bubblegum
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