Half-Participle -damas

While Doing: -damas

Level 5

-damas means while doing. The same person does both actions at the same time: Eidamas namo, sutikau draugą. (While walking home, I met a friend.)

How It Works

1. How to make it. Take the infinitive, drop -ti and add the ending that fits the subject:

  • eiti → eidamas, eidama, eidami, eidamos
  • dainuoti → dainuodamas, skaityti → skaitydamas, būti → būdamas, žinoti → žinodamas; with ne-: nežinodamas

It only has these four forms. It agrees with the subject, not with any other word.

2. One doer, two actions. The subject of the main verb does both things: Eidamas namo, sutikau draugą means that I was walking and I met a friend. If someone or something else does the second action, use the gerund in -ant instead: Man einant namo, pradėjo lyti (While I was walking home, it started to rain). Choosing between the two is a common difficulty even for native writers.

3. At the same time. The two actions overlap. For something done first and finished before the main action, use the past active participle: Grįžęs namo, pavalgiau (After I got home, I ate). For two separate events that do not overlap at all, just use two verbs joined by ir.

4. Reason or background. A -damas phrase can also explain why, or describe the situation: Nežinodamas kelio, paklausiau praeivio (Not knowing the way, I asked a passer-by). Būdama studentė, dirbau kavinėje (When I was a student, I worked in a café), said by a woman.

5. Reflexive verbs. For an unprefixed verb, the reflexive ending comes after -damas: mokytis → mokydamasis, mokydamasi, mokydamiesi, mokydamosi. See -si- in participles.

6. Commas. Commas around an expanded -damas phrase are optional; use them to set it apart: Eidamas namo, sutikau draugą. A single -damas right after the verb usually has no comma: Ji dirba dainuodama.

Examples (6)

  1. Eidamas namo, sutikau draugą.

    While walking home, I met a friend.

    The speaker is a man, so the form is eidamas. A woman would say eidama.

  2. Ji dirba dainuodama.

    She sings while she works.

    Dainuoti → dainuodama agrees with ji.

  3. Vaikai žiūrėjo filmą valgydami spragėsius.

    The children watched a film while eating popcorn.

    Vaikai is plural, so the form is valgydami.

  4. Vairuodamas nekalbėk telefonu.

    Do not talk on the phone while driving.

    The subject is the person the command is for.

  5. Nežinodamas kelio, paklausiau praeivio.

    Not knowing the way, I asked a passer-by.

    Here the phrase gives the reason for the main action.

  6. Būdama studentė, dirbau kavinėje.

    When I was a student, I worked in a café.

    Said by a woman; būti → būdama.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -damas when someone else does the second action.

    Eidamas namo, pradėjo lyti.
    Man einant namo, pradėjo lyti.

    The rain is not walking home. When the doers differ, use the gerund in -ant, with the doer in the dative.

  • Forgetting that the form agrees with the subject.

    Ji dirba dainuodamas.
    Ji dirba dainuodama.

    Ji is a woman, so the feminine form -dama is needed.

  • Using -damas for an action that does not overlap with the main one.

    Įstojau į universitetą, baigdamas jį po penkerių metų.
    Įstojau į universitetą ir baigiau jį po penkerių metų.

    -damas means at the same time. Here two finite verbs clearly express the later event.

How It Connects

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Half-Participle -damasLevel 5While Doing: -damas

Learn This First

The half-participle describes simultaneous action by the main subject.