prašau / prašom

Please and You Are Welcome

Level 1

Prašau is please when you ask for something. Prašom is please when you offer or invite, and it also means You are welcome and Here you are.

How It Works

Prašau: asking for something. Prašau literally means I ask. Use it when you want something:

  • Kavos, prašau. A coffee, please.
  • Vieną bilietą į Kauną, prašau. One ticket to Kaunas, please.

In these short requests, you may use the genitive (kavos, some coffee) or an accusative phrase (vieną bilietą) with the action, such as “give me”, left understood. Do not treat this as free case choice after the full verb prašyti: its requested thing normally takes the genitive, while an accusative can name the person being asked. See wanting things with the genitive.

Prašom: offering and inviting. Prašom is a polite word, the same for one person or many. Use it when you offer, invite or hand something over:

  • Prašom užeiti! Please come in!
  • Prašom sėstis. Please sit down.
  • Prašom, jūsų kava. Here you are, your coffee.

After prašom, the action is an infinitive in -ti or -tis (užeiti, palaukti). See the infinitive. Prašome (literally we ask) is common on signs and in announcements.

Answering thanks. When someone says Ačiū!, the warm reply is Prašom! Language advisers recommend it. You will also hear Prašau here. It is also used as a reply to thanks. Nėra už ką (Don’t mention it) is another friendly reply. See ačiū.

Even more polite. For careful requests, Lithuanians use the conditional: Prašyčiau, Norėčiau. See polite wishes.

Examples (6)

  1. Kavos, prašau.

    A coffee, please.

    Word by Word: Of-coffee, I-ask.

    Kavos is the genitive: some coffee.

  2. Vieną bilietą į Kauną, prašau.

    One ticket to Kaunas, please.

    Word by Word: One ticket to Kaunas, I-ask.

    Here the thing you ask for is in the accusative.

  3. Prašom užeiti!

    Please come in!

    Word by Word: Please to-come-in!

    Prašom invites, and the action is an infinitive.

  4. Prašom, jūsų kava.

    Here you are, your coffee.

    Word by Word: Please, your coffee.

    Prašom when handing something over.

  5. Labai ačiū! — Prašom.

    Thank you very much! — You’re welcome.

    Word by Word: Very thanks! — Please.

    The recommended reply to thanks.

  6. Prašom palaukti.

    Please wait.

    Word by Word: Please to-wait.

    A polite request to a customer or visitor.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the thing you ask for in its basic form.

    Prašau kava.
    Prašau kavos.

    With prašau used as the verb “I ask for”, use the genitive kavos. In a short order such as Vieną kavą, prašau, the accusative belongs to an understood request such as “give me one coffee”.

  • Following prašom with a conjugated verb.

    Prašom užeina!
    Prašom užeiti!

    After prašom, the action is an infinitive, here užeiti.

Words in This Pattern

prašom