Locative of Time

Level 3

Just as Vilniuje means in Vilnius, vakare means in the evening and vaikystėje means in childhood. The locative puts an event inside a stretch of time.

How It Works

From place to time

The locative endings are the same ones you use for places. See Locative of Place.

  • rytas → ryte, vakaras → vakare
  • vaikystė → vaikystėje, jaunystė → jaunystėje, senatvė → senatvėje
  • praeitis → praeityje, ateitis → ateityje
  • amžius → amžiuje: dvidešimtajame amžiuje, written XX amžiuje
  • pradžia → pradžioje, pabaiga → pabaigoje, vidurys → viduryje

Centuries and parts of a period

A century takes an ordinal in its long, definite form: dvidešimtajame amžiuje, dvidešimt pirmajame amžiuje. See Ordinal Numbers. For the start or end of a month or year, put the month or year in the genitive: gegužės pradžioje (at the beginning of May), metų pabaigoje (at the end of the year). See Dates.

Not every time word takes the locative

  • The accusative: naktį (at night), dieną (in the daytime), šį vakarą (this evening), kitą savaitę (next week), šį mėnesį (this month) and clock times such as septintą valandą. See Accusative of Time and Telling the Time.
  • The instrumental: habits such as vakarais (in the evenings) and years such as šiais metais. See Instrumental of Time.

So vakare means in the evening, šį vakarą means this evening, and vakarais means in the evenings, as a habit.

Examples (6)

  1. Vakare eisime į kiną.

    We are going to the cinema in the evening.

    Word by Word: Evening-LOC (we) will-go to cinema.

  2. Ryte man paskambino mama.

    Mom called me in the morning.

    Word by Word: Morning-LOC to-me called mom.

  3. Vaikystėje gyvenau kaime.

    As a child, I lived in the countryside.

    Word by Word: Childhood-LOC (I) lived in-village.

    vaikystė becomes vaikystėje, just like a place.

  4. Praeityje čia stovėjo pilis.

    In the past, a castle stood here.

    Word by Word: Past-LOC here stood castle.

  5. Dvidešimtajame amžiuje Vilnius labai pasikeitė.

    Vilnius changed a lot in the twentieth century.

    Word by Word: Twentieth-LOC century-LOC Vilnius very changed.

    The ordinal takes its long form: dvidešimtajame.

  6. Mėnesio pabaigoje gausiu atlyginimą.

    I will get my salary at the end of the month.

    Word by Word: Month-GEN end-LOC (I) will-get salary.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the locative for next week or next month.

    Kitoje savaitėje baigsime darbą.
    Kitą savaitę baigsime darbą.

    Weeks and months take the accusative when you say when something happens: kitą savaitę, šį mėnesį.

  • Using the locative for clock times.

    Susitinkame septyniose.
    Susitinkame septintą valandą.

    This common clock-time pattern uses an ordinal in the accusative: septintą valandą, or just septintą.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Locative of TimeLevel 3

Learn This First

Locative forms can locate an event in a period of time.

Words in This Pattern

vakarasvaikystėpraeitisateitisamžius