bijoti / klausytis / pasiilgti + genitive

Feelings and Listening with the Genitive

Level 3

After bijoti, klausytis and pasiilgti, use the genitive: Bijau šunų. (I am afraid of dogs.) Pasiilgau tavęs. (I miss you.)

How It Works

The verbs

  • bijoti (bijo, bijojo): to be afraid of: bijau, bijai, bijo
  • klausytis (klausosi, klausėsi): to listen to: klausausi, klausaisi, klausosi
  • pasiilgti (pasiilgsta, pasiilgo): to miss someone or something: pasiilgstu, pasiilgau

The thing you fear, listen to or miss goes in the genitive: šunys → šunų, tamsa → tamsos, muzika → muzikos, radijas → radijo, namai → namų. Pronouns: aš → manęs, tu → tavęs, mes → mūsų.

Saying "I miss you"

Lithuanians say Pasiilgau tavęs with the past form. In this greeting, it means you have come to miss someone and still do; context can also give a wholly past reading. Pasiilgstu describes something that happens again and again: Užsienyje visada pasiilgstu namų. (When I am abroad, I always miss home.)

Listening and hearing

Girdėti (to hear) takes the accusative: Girdžiu muziką. Klausytis (to listen) takes the genitive: Klausausi muzikos. Without -si, klausyti can mean either listen to or obey, and also takes the genitive: Klausyk mamos! (Listen to your mother!)

More verbs like these

Ilgėtis (to long for), gėdytis (to be ashamed of) and gailėtis (to regret) also take the genitive: Gailiuosi savo žodžių. (I regret my words.) The genitive stays after ne-: Nebijau šunų. For other common genitive verbs, see Verbs That Take the Genitive and Wanting Things With Norėti.

Examples (6)

  1. Bijau didelių šunų.

    I am afraid of big dogs.

    Word by Word: I-fear big-GEN dogs-GEN.

    The adjective agrees with the noun: didelių šunų.

  2. Vaikai dažnai bijo tamsos.

    Children are often afraid of the dark.

    Word by Word: Children often fear darkness-GEN.

  3. Vakarais klausausi muzikos.

    In the evenings I listen to music.

    Word by Word: Evenings-INS I-listen music-GEN.

  4. Ar klausaisi radijo automobilyje?

    Do you listen to the radio in the car?

    Word by Word: Q you-listen radio-GEN in-car?

  5. Labai pasiilgau tavęs.

    I miss you so much.

    Word by Word: Very I-missed you-GEN.

    The past form is the usual way to say "I miss you".

  6. Užsienyje visada pasiilgstu namų.

    When I am abroad, I always miss home.

    Word by Word: Abroad always I-miss home-GEN.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the accusative after klausytis.

    Klausausi muziką.
    Klausausi muzikos.

    Klausytis takes the genitive. The accusative muziką belongs with girdėti: Girdžiu muziką (I hear music).

  • Using the accusative after bijoti.

    Bijau šunis.
    Bijau šunų.

    What you fear goes in the genitive: šunys becomes šunų.

  • Using the accusative pronoun after pasiilgti.

    Pasiilgau tave.
    Pasiilgau tavęs.

    Pasiilgti takes the genitive, so tu becomes tavęs, not tave.

How It Connects

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bijoti / klausytis / pasiilgti + genitiveLevel 3Feelings and Listening with the Genitive

Learn This First

Feelings and listening verbs can select genitive complements.

Words in This Pattern

bijotiklausytis