labas
Informal Hi with Labas
Labas! means Hi! Say it to friends, family and people you know, in the morning, afternoon or evening.
How It Works
One word for any time of day. Labas! works in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening. The easiest answer is the same word: Labas! — Labas!
It never changes. Labas keeps one form for everyone: Labas, Jonai!, Labas, Ieva!, Labas, vaikai! The other friendly hello, sveikas, sveika, sveiki, is different, because it changes for a man, a woman or a group.
Adding a name. When you greet someone by name, the name takes its calling form, the vocative. Tomas becomes Tomai, Jonas becomes Jonai, and names like Rūta in -a stay the same: Labas, Rūta! See the vocative.
Who to say it to. Labas is warm and familiar. In a formal relationship, it can sound too casual. A more neutral choice is laba diena. A simple test: if you would call the person tu, labas fits. See tu and jūs.
What usually comes next. After Labas! friends often ask Kaip sekasi? (How are you?). Very close friends also say labutis, a playful form of labas.
Where the word comes from. Labas is an old Baltic word for good. You can still hear it in labai (very) and in laba diena (good day).
Examples (6)
- Labas! Kaip sekasi?
Hi! How are you?
Word by Word: Hi! How goes-it?
Labas is often followed by Kaip sekasi?
- Labas, Rūta!
Hi, Rūta!
Rūta ends in -a, so her name does not change.
- Labas, Tomai!
Hi, Tomas!
Tomas becomes Tomai when you speak to him.
- Labas, mama!
Hi, Mom!
A warm hello at home.
- Labas! Mano vardas Jonas.
Hi! My name is Jonas.
Word by Word: Hi! My name Jonas.
A friendly way to start a chat with someone your own age.
- Labas, vaikai!
Hi, kids!
The same word greets a whole group.
Common Mistakes
Changing labas for a woman or a group, the way sveikas changes.
Laba, Rūta!Labas, Rūta!As a greeting, labas has only one form. By contrast, sveikas and sveika agree with the person you greet.
Leaving a name in its basic form after labas.
Labas, Tomas!Labas, Tomai!When you speak to someone by name, the name takes the vocative. Names in -as end in -ai: Tomas becomes Tomai.
Related Patterns
- labas rytas / laba diena / labas vakarasTime-of-Day Greetings
The polite greetings for strangers and for different times of day.
Level 1 - sveikas / sveika / sveikiHello That Agrees
The other friendly hello, which changes for a man, a woman or a group.
Level 1 - Vocative Address
The calling form a name takes after labas.
Level 2 - tu / jūsInformal Tu and Polite Jūs
Labas fits people you would call tu.
Level 1 - kaip sekasiHow Are You
The question that usually follows labas.
Level 1 - viso gero / ikiSaying Goodbye
How to say goodbye at the end of the chat.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice labas in Bubblegum
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