Learning pronouns in Lithuanian, a Baltic language spoken primarily in Lithuania, is essential for mastering both spoken and written communication. Lithuanian pronouns are characterized by their forms according to person, number, gender, and case. This guide covers personal, possessive, demonstrative, reflexive, and interrogative pronouns, providing detailed explanations and examples for each.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns in Lithuanian replace nouns referring to people or things and are used based on the person being referred to. They change form based on their grammatical case (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, instrumental, locative).

Subject Pronouns:

• Aš (I): “Aš einu.” – I am going.
• Tu (You – singular): “Tu matai.” – You see.
• Jis/Ji (He/She): “Jis skaito.” / “Ji rašo.” – He reads. / She writes.
• Mes (We): “Mes kalbame.” – We speak.
• Jūs (You – plural): “Jūs laikote.” – You (plural) hold.
• Jie/Jos (They – masculine/feminine): “Jie bėga.” / “Jos šoka.” – They (m) run. / They (f) dance.

Object Pronouns:

Object pronouns often follow the verb and indicate the receiver of the action.

• Mane (Me): “Jis mane mato.” – He sees me.
• Tave (You – singular): “Aš tave myliu.” – I love you.
• Jį/Ją (Him/Her): “Mes jį/ją pažįstame.” – We know him/her.
• Mus (Us): “Jie mus kviečia.” – They invite us.
• Jus (You – plural): “Aš jus gerbiu.” – I respect you.
• Juos/Jas (Them – masculine/feminine): “Tu juos/jas matai.” – You see them.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns in Lithuanian indicate ownership and agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.

• Mano (My): “Mano knyga.” – My book.
• Tavo (Your – singular): “Tavo šuo.” – Your dog.
• Jo/Jos (His/Her): “Jo automobilis.” / “Jos namas.” – His car. / Her house.
• Mūsų (Our): “Mūsų miestas.” – Our city.
• Jūsų (Your – plural): “Jūsų idėja.” – Your idea.
• Jų (Their): “Jų sodyba.” – Their homestead.

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns in Lithuanian point to specific nouns and vary based on distance.

• Šis/Ši (This – masculine/feminine): “Šis medis.” / “Ši gėlė.” – This tree. / This flower.
• Tas/Ta (That – masculine/feminine): “Tas namas.” / “Ta upė.” – That house. / That river.

Reflexive Pronouns

Reflexive pronouns in Lithuanian are used when the subject performs an action upon itself.

• Savęs (Myself/Yourself/Himself/Herself/Itself/Ourselves/Yourselves/Themselves): “Aš rūpinuosi savimi.” – I take care of myself.

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions about people, places, or things.

• Kas (Who/What): “Kas tai?” – What is that?
• Koks/Kokia (Which – masculine/feminine): “Koks filmas?” / “Kokia knyga?” – Which movie? / Which book?
• Kur (Where): “Kur jis?” – Where is he?

Understanding and correctly using Lithuanian pronouns is vital for navigating both simple and complex conversations. Practice forming sentences with each type of pronoun, and try to engage in conversations or writing exercises to apply these concepts actively. Remember, context, and the nuances of Lithuanian grammar play a significant role in choosing the correct pronoun form.