Prefixed Verbs in the Present

Level 4

Jis kasdien perskaito laikraštį. (Every day he reads the paper through.) · Future: Rytoj perskaitysiu. (I will read it tomorrow.)

How It Works

1. Repeated finished actions. The present of a prefixed verb often describes a habit where each action is complete.

  • Jis kasdien perskaito laikraštį. (He reads the whole newspaper every day.)
  • Kiekvieną rytą išgeriu puodelį kavos. (Every morning I drink a cup of coffee.)

2. General facts. Vanduo užverda šimto laipsnių temperatūroje. (Water boils at a hundred degrees.)

3. Right now, especially arriving and leaving. With verbs of motion, the present can show something happening now: Žiūrėk, autobusas atvažiuoja! (Look, the bus is coming!)

4. The future. The prefix alone never makes a future. To predict or promise a result, use the future in -s-: Rytoj perskaitysiu tavo laišką. Like English I'm leaving tomorrow, the present can still be used for a fixed plan with a time word: Rytoj išvažiuoju. (I'm leaving tomorrow.)

5. Plain or prefixed? For being in the middle of reading, use skaityti rather than perskaityti: Dabar skaitau knygą. (I am reading a book now.) See ongoing versus completed actions.

Examples (6)

  1. Jis kasdien perskaito laikraštį.

    Every day he reads the newspaper through.

    Word by Word: He every-day reads-through newspaper.

  2. Kiekvieną rytą išgeriu puodelį kavos.

    Every morning I drink a cup of coffee.

    Word by Word: Every morning I-drink-up cup of-coffee.

  3. Paprastai parvažiuoju namo šeštą.

    I usually get home at six.

    Word by Word: Usually I-drive-back home at-sixth.

  4. Vanduo užverda šimto laipsnių temperatūroje.

    Water boils at a hundred degrees.

    Word by Word: Water comes-to-boil at-hundred degrees temperature.

  5. Žiūrėk, autobusas atvažiuoja!

    Look, the bus is coming!

    Word by Word: Look, bus arrives!

  6. Rytoj perskaitysiu tavo laišką.

    I will read your letter tomorrow.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow I-will-read your letter.

    For a promise about tomorrow, use the future with -s-.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the present of a prefixed verb as a future, as in Russian or Polish.

    Tikriausiai rytoj jis perskaito tavo laišką.
    Tikriausiai rytoj jis perskaitys tavo laišką.

    This is a guess about the future, not a timetable, so Lithuanian needs the future tense: perskaitys.

  • Using a prefixed verb for an action in progress.

    Dabar aš perskaitau knygą.
    Dabar aš skaitau knygą.

    If you mean that you are in the middle of reading, use the plain verb skaityti. Perskaityti means reading to the end.

How It Connects

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

Prefixed Verbs in the PresentLevel 4

Learn This First

A prefix does not automatically turn a Lithuanian present into a future.