No Words for A and The
There are no articles in Lithuanian. Namas means "a house" or "the house"; you simply say the noun.
How It Works
English must choose between a, the or nothing before a noun. Lithuanian never has to: Aš perku duoną can mean "I'm buying bread" or "I'm buying the bread".
How Lithuanian shows "a" or "the" when it matters:
- Word order. Something already known usually comes first, and something new usually comes last. Sode yra katė (There is a cat in the garden) introduces a new cat. Katė yra sode (The cat is in the garden) talks about a cat you already know. See flexible word order and there is with yra.
- Pointing words. Tas, ta (that) or šis, ši (this) can point to something or refer back to it. Tas also has article-like uses in speech, but you do not need to insert it wherever English uses "the". See this and that.
- Vienas. Vienas means "one". It can also mean "a certain", as in stories, but it is not a plain "a".
- Definite adjectives. Later you will learn special adjective forms that mean "the ... one": raudonąjį obuolį (the red apple). See definite adjectives.
So when you translate from English, drop a and the. He is a teacher is simply Jis yra mokytojas.
Examples (6)
- Namas yra didelis.
The house is big.
Word by Word: House is big.
No word for "the" is needed.
- Ten yra namas.
There is a house over there.
Word by Word: There is house.
The same word namas now means "a house". The new item comes at the end.
- Kambaryje yra stalas.
There is a table in the room.
Word by Word: In-room is table.
The table is new information, so it comes last.
- Stalas yra kambaryje.
The table is in the room.
Word by Word: Table is in-room.
The table is already known, so it comes first.
- Jis yra mokytojas.
He is a teacher.
Word by Word: He is teacher.
English needs "a" here; Lithuanian does not.
- Tas namas yra mūsų.
That house is ours.
Word by Word: That house is ours.
Tas really points to one house: "that one".
Common Mistakes
Adding vienas when the intended meaning is simply "He is a teacher", with no emphasis on one or a certain teacher.
Jis yra vienas mokytojas.Jis yra mokytojas.The first sentence is grammatical, but vienas adds a meaning such as "one" or "a certain". To state his profession without that added meaning, use the noun alone.
Related Patterns
- šis, ši / tas, taThis and That
Use this and that to identify something or refer back to it.
Level 2 - Flexible Word Order
Learn how word order shows what is new and what is known.
Level 2 - čia yraThere Is with Yra
Introduce new things with yra.
Level 1 - Definite Adjectives
Later, use definite adjective forms to mean "the ... one".
Level 3 - kažkas / kas norsSomeone and Anyone
Later, say "someone" and "anyone" without an article.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice No Words for A and The in Bubblegum
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