Foreign Names With Lithuanian Endings

Level 5

Lithuanian gives foreign names endings so that they can take cases: John → Johnas, Johno, Johnui. Well-known places have long had Lithuanian forms: Paryžius (Paris), Londonas (London), Niujorkas (New York), so Londone means in London.

How It Works

Two ways to write a person's name

  • Original spelling + Lithuanian ending: Johnas, Shakespeare'as. This preserves the original spelling while showing case.
  • Lithuanian spelling of the sound: Džonas, Šekspyras. You will see this in fiction, children's books and older texts.

The apostrophe
An apostrophe can separate the original name from its Lithuanian ending. It is especially useful after a silent final letter: Shakespeare'as (the final e is silent). The ending then changes as usual: Shakespeare'o pjesės (Shakespeare's plays).

Which ending?

  • Men's names ending in a consonant usually take -as and decline like vyras: Johnas, Johno, Johnui, Johną. See The First Declension.
  • Names with an unstressed -a, such as Anna, can decline like mama: Anna, Annos.
  • Women's surnames ending in a consonant do not change, but the first name still declines: Angela Merkel, Angelos Merkel knyga (Angela Merkel's book). Compare Lithuanian women's surnames in Women's Surnames.

Place names
Countries and big cities usually have established Lithuanian forms that decline fully: Paryžius → Paryžiuje (in Paris), Londonas → Londone, Berlynas → Berlyne, Varšuva → Varšuvoje. See Locative of Place.

Examples (5)

  1. Mano draugas Johnas gyvena Londone.

    My friend John lives in London.

    Word by Word: My friend John lives in-London.

  2. Kitą savaitę skrendame į Paryžių.

    Next week we are flying to Paris.

    Word by Word: Next week we-fly into Paris.

  3. Ar skaitei Shakespeare'o pjeses?

    Have you read Shakespeare's plays?

    Word by Word: Whether you-read Shakespeare's plays?

    The apostrophe separates Shakespeare from its Lithuanian case ending; the final e of this name is silent.

  4. Niujorke gyvena daug lietuvių.

    Many Lithuanians live in New York.

    Word by Word: In-New-York live many Lithuanians.

  5. Tai Angelos Merkel atsiminimų knyga.

    This is Angela Merkel's memoir.

    Word by Word: This of-Angela Merkel of-memories book.

    The first name declines, but a woman's surname ending in a consonant stays the same.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving a man's foreign name without an ending.

    Skaičiau Shakespeare pjesę.
    Skaičiau Shakespeare'o pjesę.

    Here the name shows the owner, so it needs the genitive ending, after an apostrophe because the final e is silent.

  • Using the bare foreign place name instead of its Lithuanian form.

    Gyvenu London.
    Gyvenu Londone.

    London has the Lithuanian form Londonas, and in London is the locative Londone.

  • Adding a masculine ending to a woman's surname.

    Susitikimo dalyvė buvo Angela Merkelas.
    Susitikimo dalyvė buvo Angela Merkel.

    A woman's surname ending in a consonant stays unchanged. Do not add the masculine ending -as to this surname for a woman.

How It Connects

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

Foreign Names With Lithuanian EndingsLevel 5

Learn This First

Foreign names may take Lithuanian endings, while others remain uninflected.