Understanding Lietuvių Word Order
In the Lithuanian language, just like in English, the order of words in a sentence is important. It helps us understand who is doing what. Let's explore how we arrange words in Lithuanian sentences.
The most common sentence structure in Lithuanian is Subject-Verb-Object, just like in English. This means we usually say who is doing the action first, then the action, and finally who or what is receiving the action.
Examples
- Vaikas valgo obuolį.
- Katė gaudo pelę.
Flexibility in Word Order
Lithuanian is a flexible language, which means sometimes we can change the word order to emphasize different parts of the sentence. However, we must be careful because the meaning can change.
Examples
- Obuolį vaikas valgo.
- Valgo vaikas obuolį.
When we ask questions in Lithuanian, we often start with a question word like 'what', 'who', or 'why'. After that, the verb usually comes next.
Examples
- Ką valgo vaikas?
- Kas gaudo pelę?
Adjectives in Lithuanian usually come before the noun they describe, just like in English. They help us add details about the noun.
Examples
- Gražus vaikas valgo obuolį.
- Didelė katė gaudo pelę.
Important Points
- Basic Word Order: Subject-Verb-Object
- Flexibility in Word Order
- Questions: Verb after Question Word
- Adjectives before Nouns