tebe-

Still with Tebe-

Level 4

tebe- + verb = still: gyvena → tebegyvena (still lives), yra → tebėra (still is).

How It Works

1. Write it as one word. Jis tebegyvena Kaune. (He still lives in Kaunas.) Senelis tebedirba mokykloje. (Grandpa still works at the school.)

2. With būti. Tebe- and yra join into tebėra: Parduotuvė tebėra atidaryta. (The shop is still open.) With esu, it becomes tebesu.

3. Reflexive verbs. With an otherwise unprefixed verb, -si- comes after tebe-: mokosi → tebesimoko (is still studying).

4. Other tenses. Tebe- also works in the past: Tada ji tebesimokė universitete. (At that time she was still studying at the university.) It can precede a verb that already has a lexical prefix; any -si- then remains after that lexical prefix.

5. Tebe- or dar? Dar and vis dar also mean still: Jis dar gyvena Kaune. Both are correct. Tebe- sounds a little more careful and is common in writing.

6. The opposite. Nebe- means no longer: Jis nebegyvena Kaune. (He no longer lives in Kaunas.) For something that is still not true, use dar or vis dar with ne-: Jis vis dar neturi darbo. (He still doesn't have a job.)

Examples (6)

  1. Jis tebegyvena Kaune.

    He still lives in Kaunas.

    Word by Word: He still-lives in-Kaunas.

  2. Parduotuvė tebėra atidaryta.

    The shop is still open.

    Word by Word: Shop still-is open.

    Tebe- and yra join into tebėra.

  3. Lauke tebelyja.

    It's still raining outside.

    Word by Word: Outside still-rains.

  4. Senelis tebedirba mokykloje.

    Grandpa still works at the school.

    Word by Word: Grandfather still-works at-school.

  5. Tada ji tebesimokė universitete.

    At that time she was still studying at the university.

    Word by Word: Then she still-studied at-university.

    Mokytis has no lexical prefix, so adding tebe- places -si- after it: tebesimokė.

  6. Ar tu tebeturi tą seną dviratį?

    Do you still have that old bike?

    Word by Word: Q you still-have that old bike?

Common Mistakes

  • Writing tebe as a separate word.

    Jis tebe gyvena Kaune.
    Jis tebegyvena Kaune.

    Tebe- is a prefix, so it is written together with the verb.

  • Writing tebe- and yra without joining them.

    Parduotuvė tebeyra atidaryta.
    Parduotuvė tebėra atidaryta.

    Tebe- and yra join into one form, tebėra, the same way ne- and yra make nėra.

How It Connects

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

tebe-Level 4Still with Tebe-

Learn This First

Tebe- marks a continuing state or action within the verb.

Words in This Pattern

tebėranebe