Instrumental of Means

Level 2

Use the instrumental for what you do something with or travel by: autobusu (by bus), pieštuku (with a pencil), kortele (by card).

How It Works

1. Instrumental endings.

  • First-declension -as, -is → -u, -iu: autobusas → autobusu, peilis → peiliu
  • -a → -a, spelled the same as the nominative: mašina → mašina, ranka → ranka
  • -ė → -e: kortelė → kortele
  • common plural endings → -ais, -omis, -ėmis: pieštukai → pieštukais, rankos → rankomis

2. Transport. autobusu, traukiniu, lėktuvu, dviračiu, mašina, laivu. Taksi never changes: važiuoti taksi. On foot is the adverb pėsčiomis. For going by vehicle, the verb is važiuoti, not eiti (see eiti and važiuoti).

3. Tools and methods. rašyti pieštuku (to write in pencil), pjauti peiliu (to cut with a knife), mokėti kortele (to pay by card), siųsti paštu (to send by post), kalbėti telefonu (to talk on the phone).

4. Su or no su? For tools and transport, Lithuanian usage advice accepts both rašyti pieštuku and rašyti su pieštuku, and both važiuoti autobusu and važiuoti su autobusu. The form without su is the traditional, most common one, so learn that first. Use su for company and for things that come along: kava su pienu (coffee with milk).

5. Do not use a place word. Ant autobuso means on top of the bus, and autobuse means inside the bus. For the route you travel along, another instrumental is used: Eik šia gatve (Go along this street), see the instrumental of route.

Examples (6)

  1. Į darbą važiuoju autobusu.

    I go to work by bus.

    Word by Word: To work I-ride by-bus.

    Autobusas → autobusu, with no preposition.

  2. Vaikai piešia spalvotais pieštukais.

    The children are drawing with coloured pencils.

    A plural instrumental: pieštukai → pieštukais.

  3. Ar galiu mokėti kortele?

    Can I pay by card?

    Kortelė → kortele.

  4. Pjaustau duoną peiliu.

    I'm slicing bread with a knife.

    Peilis → peiliu.

  5. Nuotraukas atsiųsiu elektroniniu paštu.

    I'll send the photos by email.

    The adjective and noun are both instrumental.

  6. Į Londoną skrisime lėktuvu.

    We'll fly to London.

    Lėktuvas → lėktuvu names the means of travel.

Common Mistakes

  • Using ant (on) for travelling by vehicle.

    Važiuoju ant autobuso.
    Važiuoju autobusu.

    Ant autobuso means on top of the bus. To say by bus, use the instrumental: autobusu.

  • Leaving the tool in the nominative.

    Ar galiu mokėti kortelė?
    Ar galiu mokėti kortele?

    The means is in the instrumental: kortelė → kortele.

How It Connects

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Instrumental of MeansLevel 2

Learn This First

The instrumental can name a means or vehicle without a preposition.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.