Softness Marker i
I as a Softness Marker
In šiandien, kiaušinis and lietuvių, the i directly before a or ų is not a separate vowel. It shows that the consonant before it is soft.
How It Works
Almost every Lithuanian consonant has a hard and a soft (palatalized) version. A soft consonant is said with the middle of the tongue raised toward the roof of the mouth, as if a tiny y sound were mixed in.
When is a consonant soft?
- Before e, ę, ė, i, į, y it is always soft, and nothing extra is written: geri, medis.
- Before a, ą, o, u, ū, ų it is normally hard. To make it soft, Lithuanian writes an i in between: noriu, brolio, lietuvių. This i is minkštumo ženklas, the softness marker, and it is not said as a separate vowel.
How the next vowel changes. After the softness marker, a sounds like an open e, and ai and au sound close to ei and eu. Compare gerą with geria (drinks), and šaudo (shoots) with šiaudo (of the straw). The vowels o and u move a little toward the front of the mouth: geru and geriu (I drink).
Why it matters. Many common endings contain this i: noriu (I want), broliai (brothers), brolio (of the brother), lietuvių (of the Lithuanians). Leaving it out gives a wrong form. It also explains why č, š, ž and dž are so often followed by i: čia, šiandien, žalias, medžiai. See the digraphs dz, dž and ch.
When i really is a separate vowel before another vowel, Lithuanian usually writes a j between them: Marija, radijas. Do not confuse the softness marker with the gliding sound ie, as in pienas. See the diphthongs ie and uo.
Examples (6)
- Šiandien labai šilta.
It's very warm today.
Word by Word: Today very warm.
In šiandien, the i after š only marks softness, and the a after it sounds like e.
- Aš noriu miegoti.
I want to sleep.
Word by Word: I want to-sleep.
Noriu has two syllables: no-riu. The i makes the r soft.
- Aš valgau kiaušinį.
I'm eating an egg.
Word by Word: I eat egg.
Kiau- is a soft k followed by a sound close to "eu".
- Mano broliai gyvena Vilniuje.
My brothers live in Vilnius.
Word by Word: My brothers live in-Vilnius.
Broliai and Vilniuje both have a softness marker: a soft l and a soft n.
- Mes esame lietuviai.
We are Lithuanians.
Word by Word: We are Lithuanians.
In lietuviai, the i after v marks a soft v.
- Ji geria kavą.
She is drinking coffee.
Word by Word: She drinks coffee.
Geria sounds close to "gere": after the soft r, the a is said like an open e.
Common Mistakes
Leaving out the softness marker.
Mano brolai gyvena Vilnuje.Mano broliai gyvena Vilniuje.The l in broliai and the n in Vilniuje are soft, and the spelling must show it with i. Brolai and Vilnuje are wrong forms.
Writing e because ia sounds like e.
Ji gere kavą.Ji geria kavą.After a soft consonant, ia sounds like e, but it is still spelled ia. The verb form is geria.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Learn to distinguish a pronounced i from an i that marks the preceding consonant as soft.
Related Patterns
- Diphthongs ie and uoThe Diphthongs Ie and Uo
Tell the softness marker apart from the gliding sound ie.
Level 1 - č / š / žThe Letters Č, Š and Ž
See softness-marker i after č, š and ž in čia, šiandien and žalias.
Level 1 - dz / dž / chThe Digraphs Dz, Dž and Ch
Learn the d/dž alternation in forms such as medis and medžiai.
Level 1 - ė / eThe Letters Ė and E
Compare the open e sound of ia with the letters e and ė.
Level 1 - First Declension: -as, -is, -ysThe First Declension
Meet nouns like brolis, whose endings are full of softness markers.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Softness Marker i in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Lithuanian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
