kaip tik
Just and Exactly with Kaip Tik
Kaip tik means just, exactly or right: Atėjai kaip tik laiku. (You came just in time.) Kaip tik apie tai galvojau. (I was just thinking about that.)
How It Works
1. Exactly this one
Kaip tik tokio ir ieškojau. (That's exactly the kind I was looking for.) An ir later in the sentence adds weight.
2. Just at that moment
Kaip tik ruošiausi išeiti, kai paskambinai. (I was just about to leave when you called.)
3. Just right
Šie batai man kaip tik. (These shoes fit me just right.)
4. Quite the opposite
Kaip tik priešingai! (Quite the opposite!) In ne ..., o ..., kaip tik stresses the correction: Jis ne pavargęs, o kaip tik pilnas jėgų. (He isn't tired; on the contrary, he is full of energy.)
Three look-alikes
- kaip tik: just, exactly, just right
- ką tik: a moment ago, with a past verb: Ką tik grįžau. (I have just come back.)
- kai tik: as soon as, joining two clauses
Kaip tik or būtent?
Both can mean exactly. Būtent explicitly singles something out. Kaip tik is also the word for good timing and a good fit.
Examples (6)
- Atėjai kaip tik laiku.
You came just in time.
Word by Word: You-came how just in-time.
- Kaip tik apie tai galvojau.
I was just thinking about that.
Word by Word: How just about that I-was-thinking.
- Kaip tik tokio ir ieškojau.
That's exactly the kind I was looking for.
Word by Word: How just such and I-looked-for.
Ieškoti takes the genitive, so the word is tokio.
- Kaip tik ruošiausi išeiti, kai paskambinai.
I was just about to leave when you called.
Word by Word: How just I-was-getting-ready to-leave, when you-called.
- Šie batai man kaip tik.
These shoes fit me just right.
Word by Word: These shoes to-me how just.
- Kaip tik priešingai!
Quite the opposite!
Word by Word: How just opposite!
Common Mistakes
Using kaip tik to join two clauses as as soon as.
Kaip tik baigsi, paskambink man.Kai tik baigsi, paskambink man.Kaip tik is not a conjunction. To say as soon as you finish, use kai tik (or vos tik).
Related Patterns
- ką tikJust Now with Ką Tik
Ką tik means a moment ago and is easy to mix up with kaip tik.
Level 4 - kai tikAs Soon as with Kai Tik
Kai tik means as soon as and joins two clauses.
Level 4 - būtentNamely and Exactly with Būtent
Būtent also means exactly and singles something out.
Level 5 - ne ..., o ...Not This but That
Kaip tik often stresses the correction in ne ..., o kaip tik ...
Level 3 - tikOnly with Tik
Tik on its own means only.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice kaip tik in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Lithuanian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
