Emphatic -te
Emphatic Būdinys in -te
Jis bėgte bėgo means He ran as fast as he could. The form in -te doubles the verb for emphasis.
How It Works
1. Form. Take the infinitive and replace -ti with -te:
- bėgti → bėgte (running)
- tylėti → tylėte (being silent)
- verkti → verkte (crying)
- prašyti → prašyte (asking)
A rarer variant ends in -tinai: bėgtinai.
2. Use. The būdinys goes with a verb of the same root, usually right before it. Together they mean that the action was done fully, hard or with great effort:
- Jis bėgte bėgo namo. (He ran home as fast as he could.)
- Vaikas verkte verkė. (The child cried and cried.)
The main verb may have a prefix or be reflexive, but the būdinys itself stays plain: bėgte pabėgo (ran off with emphasis), Žmonės grūste grūdosi prie kasos (People crowded tightly around the ticket office).
3. With negation. With a negated verb, often after nė, the būdinys means not at all: Apie tai nė girdėte negirdėjau (I have never even heard of it).
4. Style. The būdinys is expressive. It is common in folk tales, songs and lively storytelling. In neutral speech an ordinary adverb does a similar job: greitai bėgo (ran fast).
Examples (6)
- Jis bėgte bėgo namo.
He ran home as fast as he could.
Word by Word: He running ran home.
- Ji visą vakarą tylėte tylėjo.
She stayed completely silent all evening.
- Vaikas verkte verkė.
The child cried and cried.
- Žmonės grūste grūdosi prie kasos.
People crowded tightly around the ticket office.
The main verb grūstis is reflexive, but the būdinys grūste has no -si.
- Apie tai nė girdėte negirdėjau.
I have never even heard of it.
With a negated verb, the būdinys means not at all.
- Tėvai prašyte prašė jį likti.
His parents begged him to stay.
Common Mistakes
Pairing the būdinys with a verb of a different root.
Jis bėgte ėjo namo.Jis bėgte bėgo namo.The būdinys only goes with a verb of the same root. To describe a different verb, use an adverb: Jis greitai ėjo namo.
Putting the prefix on the būdinys as well.
Jis pabėgte pabėgo.Jis bėgte pabėgo.A būdinys never takes a prefix. Only the main verb can have one.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The būdinys emphasizes an action by repeating its root in an unchanging -te form.
Related Patterns
- Adverbs in -ai
An ordinary adverb such as greitai is the neutral way to describe how an action is done.
Level 2 - nėNot a Single One with Nė
Nė often comes before a būdinys with a negated verb: nė girdėte negirdėjo.
Level 4 - Half-Participle -damasWhile Doing: -damas
The half-participle is another verb form that describes manner, but it adds a second action.
Level 5 - Sound Words as Verbs
Sound words are another expressive tool of lively Lithuanian storytelling.
Level 6
Words in This Pattern
Practice Emphatic -te in Bubblegum
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