man patinka
Liking with Patikti
Man patinka + a noun in the nominative = I like it: Man patinka muzika. (I like music.)
How It Works
Turn the sentence around. In English the person who likes is the subject. With patikti the thing that is liked is the subject, and the person is in the dative:
- man patinka (I like), tau patinka (you like)
- jam patinka (he likes), jai patinka (she likes)
- with a name or noun: Tomas → Tomui, Rūta → Rūtai
Here the dative marks the person experiencing the feeling. It also marks a recipient; see the dative recipient and the pronoun forms in personal pronoun case forms.
The liked thing stays in the nominative. Man patinka kava, not kavą. This is the nominative subject. Because the third-person verb form is the same in the singular and the plural, patinka works for one thing or many: Man patinka obuoliai. (I like apples.)
Liking an activity. Put an infinitive after patinka: Jam patinka šokti. (He likes to dance.) See the infinitive in -ti.
Liking a person. Now the person liked is the subject and the verb agrees with it: Tu man patinki. (I like you.)
Lithuanian has a second verb for liking, mėgti, which works like English and takes the accusative. It suits things you enjoy regularly; see liking with mėgti.
Examples (6)
- Man patinka Vilnius.
I like Vilnius.
Word by Word: To-me pleases Vilnius.
- Ar tau patinka muzika?
Do you like music?
Word by Word: Q to-you pleases music?
- Jam patinka šokti.
He likes to dance.
Word by Word: To-him pleases to-dance.
- Man patinka obuoliai.
I like apples.
Word by Word: To-me pleases apples.
Patinka stays the same with a plural subject.
- Rūtai patinka kava.
Rūta likes coffee.
Word by Word: To-Rūta pleases coffee.
The name Rūta takes the dative ending -ai.
- Tu man patinki.
I like you.
Word by Word: You to-me please.
The person liked is the subject, so the verb is in the tu form.
Common Mistakes
Using the nominative for the person who likes.
Aš patinka muzika.Man patinka muzika.The person who likes is in the dative: aš → man.
Putting the liked thing in the accusative.
Man patinka muziką.Man patinka muzika.The liked thing is the subject of patinka, so it stays in the nominative.
Using English subject and object roles with patikti.
Aš patinku tave.Tu man patinki.The person you like is the subject and you are in the dative. Aš patinku would mean that someone likes me.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Patikti places the person in the dative and the liked thing in the nominative.
Related Patterns
- mėgti + accusativeLiking with Mėgti
The other verb for liking, with the accusative.
Level 2 - Personal Pronoun Case Forms
The dative pronouns man, tau, jam and jai.
Level 2 - Dative Recipient
The same dative case marks the person something goes to.
Level 2 - Dative With State Words
The dative also shows who feels something.
Level 2 - Infinitive -tiThe Infinitive in -ti
An infinitive after patinka names an activity you like.
Level 1 - man reikiaNeeding with Reikia
Another everyday verb with the person in the dative.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice man patinka in Bubblegum
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