Sound Words as Verbs

Level 6

Katė strykt ant stalo means The cat hopped onto the table. The sound word strykt works like a quick verb.

How It Works

1. What they are. Lithuanian has a large, lively group of words that copy a sound or a sudden movement. Many end in -t:

  • strykt: a hop or jump
  • pykšt, pokšt: a bang or pop
  • trinkt: a bang or slam
  • šmurkšt: slipping in quickly
  • žvilgt: a quick glance
  • triokšt: a crack

2. In place of a verb. An ištiktukas can be the whole action of the sentence. It sounds sudden and vivid, a bit like English and — whoosh! — it was gone:

  • Katė strykt ant stalo. (The cat hopped onto the table.)
  • Pelė šmurkšt į urvą. (The mouse slipped into its hole.)

It can also come right before a verb and add the sound: Durys trinkt ir užsidarė (The door banged shut).

3. Never changes. An ištiktukas has no endings for person or tense. When you need a real verb, use the matching verb, often one in -telėti: strykt → stryktelėti, žvilgt → žvilgtelėti, trinkt → trinktelėti.

4. One quick moment. The examples here show sudden events. Repeated sound words can also portray repeated actions. A verb such as šokinėjo is a neutral way to describe ongoing jumping.

Examples (6)

  1. Katė strykt ant stalo.

    The cat hopped onto the table.

    Word by Word: Cat hop onto table.

  2. Durys trinkt ir užsidarė.

    The door banged shut.

  3. Staiga pykšt! Sprogo balionas.

    Suddenly, bang! A balloon burst.

  4. Pelė šmurkšt į urvą.

    The mouse slipped into its hole.

  5. Jis žvilgt į laikrodį ir išbėgo.

    He glanced at the clock and ran out.

  6. Šaka triokšt, Jonas žemėn keberiokšt!

    The branch went crack, and Jonas tumbled to the ground!

    Two sound words in a row. Žemėn is an old direction form meaning to the ground.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding verb endings to a sound word.

    Katė stryktė ant stalo.
    Katė strykt ant stalo.

    Ištiktukai never change. If you want a real past verb, use stryktelėjo: Katė stryktelėjo ant stalo.