Vowel Changes in the Principal Parts
Learn verbs as three forms, because the vowel can shift: pirkti – perka – pirko (buy), gerti – geria – gėrė (drink), imti – ima – ėmė (take), eiti – eina – ėjo (go).
How It Works
Three forms carry the verb
Every verb is learned with its infinitive, third-person present and third-person past. For most verbs the root stays the same, as in dirbti, dirba, dirbo. For some common verbs the vowel changes, much like English sing, sang, sung. See The Three Principal Parts.
Common patterns
- i – e – i: pirkti – perka – pirko (buy), rinkti – renka – rinko (collect, choose), kirpti – kerpa – kirpo (cut with scissors)
- e – e – ė: gerti – geria – gėrė (drink), kelti – kelia – kėlė (lift, raise)
- i – i – ė: imti – ima – ėmė (take)
- Other changes: eiti – eina – ėjo (go), duoti – duoda – davė (give), dėti – deda – dėjo (put), virti – verda – virė (boil, cook)
Which vowel goes where
- Present, from perka: perku, perki, perka, perkame, perkate. See The Present Tense.
- Past, from pirko: pirkau, pirkai, pirko, pirkome, pirkote. From ėmė: ėmiau, ėmei, ėmė, ėmėme, ėmėte. The last letter of the past form also tells you the endings. See Simple Past in -o and Simple Past in -ė.
- Future and commands, from pirkti: pirksiu, pirks, pirk, pirkite. See The Future Tense.
Prefixes keep the pattern
nupirkti – nuperka – nupirko, išgerti – išgeria – išgėrė, paimti – paima – paėmė, atsikelti – atsikelia – atsikėlė. Some other verbs add -n- or -st- only in the present; see Present Stems With -n- and -st-.
Examples (6)
- Kur perki duoną?
Where do you buy bread?
Word by Word: Where (you) buy bread?
The present has e: perki.
- Vakar nupirkau naują telefoną.
Yesterday I bought a new phone.
Word by Word: Yesterday (I) bought new phone.
The past has i: nupirkau.
- Ryte išgėriau puodelį kavos.
In the morning I drank a cup of coffee.
Word by Word: In-morning (I) drank-up cup of-coffee.
The past of gerti has ė: gėriau.
- Kas paėmė mano raktus?
Who took my keys?
Word by Word: Who took my keys?
imti, ima, ėmė: the past has ė.
- Vakar ėjome namo pėsčiomis.
Yesterday we walked home.
Word by Word: Yesterday (we) went home on-foot.
- Močiutė verda sriubą.
Grandma is making soup.
Word by Word: Grandma boils soup.
virti, verda, virė: the present has e.
Common Mistakes
Using the infinitive vowel in the present.
Ji pirka pieną.Ji perka pieną.The present of pirkti has e: perku, perki, perka. The i belongs to the infinitive and the past.
Using the present vowel in the past.
Kas paimė mano raktus?Kas paėmė mano raktus?The past of imti has ė: ėmė, paėmė. Learn imti, ima, ėmė as a set.
Leaving out the ė in the past of gerti.
Vakar geriau daug kavos.Vakar gėriau daug kavos.The past of gerti is gėriau, gėrei, gėrė. Geriau without ė is a different word meaning better.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Different principal parts can contain different root vowels.
Related Patterns
- The Three Principal Parts
The three principal parts that show these vowel changes.
Level 2 - The Present Tense
The present takes its vowel from the third-person present.
Level 1 - Past -oSimple Past in -o
Pirko and rinko take the -o past endings.
Level 2 - Past -ėSimple Past in -ė
Gėrė and ėmė take the -ė past endings.
Level 2 - Present -n- and -st-Present Stems with -n- and -st-
Another group of verbs whose present stem differs.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice Vowel Changes in the Principal Parts in Bubblegum
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