Preview Mode Links will not work in preview mode

We are no longer producing new episodes of Lithuanian Out Loud. However, if you would like to donate to show your appreciation of our previous episodes, please donate here. Thank you 🙂

Lithuanian Out Loud is a podcast series designed for fans of the Lithuanian language. Come along with native Lithuanian author/lawyer Raminta and her North-American husband, Jack. They'll teach you Lithuanian along with tidbits about the history and culture of Raminta's homeland - Lietuva!

Music: Vieux Farka Toure - Ana {Pocket Remix} by pocketproductions (c) copyright 2007 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/pocketproductions/8916 Ft: Pocket (Richard Jankovich)

 

Jan 21, 2008

Hi there, I’m Jack and welcome back to Lithuanian Out Loud where the lessons are free and we offer a 100% money back guarantee.  Of course, this is the month of January, or in Lithuanian it would be…sausis. 

On today’s episode we’ll be going over some new phrases for chatting in a conversation and just so you know, on the next lesson we’ll learn some fun ways to say goodbye.  After that we’ll start to tackle the accusative case and after that, the locative case.  We’re also working on bringing you some more intermediate lessons since we’ve had some good feedback on them and evidently, you want some more.

One of our listeners named Autumn was nice enough to tell us about Oneness City.  It’s a free online Lithuanian web site with 10 interactive lessons including voice recordings.  This looks like a great place to study and it’s put together by 16 staff members of the Vilnius University.  I wish I had a staff!  I haven’t had a chance to look at the lessons in depth yet, but initially, it looks great.  Please take the time to click on the link on the Lithuanian Out Loud web page.

Now, Raminta, would you tell us a little about Lithuanian culture?

Okay, so, piliakalnis is the Lithuanian word for Hillfort.  It comes from pilis, or castle and kalnas, mountain or hill.  The remains of at least 800 piliakalniai dot the landscape of Lithuania and the single most famous hillfort was named Pilėnai.

In February of 1336 over 4,000 Lithuanians were trapped inside this fortress by the invading German Teutonic Knights.  Seeing the situation as hopeless and not wanting to be sold into slavery, the Lithuanians committed mass suicide.  They burned everything in the castle, set the wooden castle itself on fire, and then every man, woman and child took their own lives.

If you want to visit the ruins of Pilėnai that might be difficult.  Nobody seems to know for certain where it’s located.  However, the legend of this defiance of invaders remains strong in Lithuanian culture.  The story lives on in the history, poetry and music of Lithuania.

The last time we learned a new greeting was in episode...don’t worry about that.  If you’re practicing Lithuanian with some friends, by now you’re probably a bit bored with saying kaip gyveni? or kaip sekasi? again and again.  We need some variety!  Let’s learn some new ways to say, Hi, how ya doin?

prašom pakartoti lietuviškai
please repeat in Lithuanian

kaip sekasi?                   
how are you?

kaip jūs gyvenate?         
how are you?

ar aš?                            
me?

ar aš? gerai                    
me? good

ar aš? gerai, ačiū            
who me? good, thanks

ar aš? gerai, ačiū, o jūs?  
who me? good, thanks, and you?

labai gerai, ačiū, o jūs?   
very good, thanks, and you?

labai gerai, ačiū, o jūs?   
very good, thanks, and you?

puikiai!  ačiū, o jūs?       
perfect!  thanks, and you?

puikiai!  ačiū, o jūs?       
perfect!  thanks, and you?

neblogai, o jūs?              
not bad, you?

neblogai, o jūs?              
not bad, you?

blogai, o jūs?                 
bad, and you?

blogai, o jūs?                 
bad, and you?

labai blogai, o jūs?          
very bad, and you?

labai blogai, o jūs?          
very bad, and you?

šiaip sau                         
so – so

šiaip sau                         
just okay

prašom pakartoti
please repeat

kaip sekasi?                   
how are you?

kaip jūs gyvenate?         
how are you?

sveikas ir gyvas!            
healthy and alive! (male)

sveikas ir gyvas!             
healthy and alive! (male)

sveika ir gyva!               
healthy and alive! (female)

sveika ir gyva!               
healthy and alive! (female)

you can drop the word, ir

sveikas gyvas!               
healthy and alive! (male)

sveikas gyvas!               
healthy and alive! (male)

sveika gyva!                  
healthy and alive! (female)

sveika gyva!                  
healthy and alive! (female)

So, do you use these very much, dear?  Sveika gyva, sveikas ir…sveika gyva…yeah, I use sveika, yeah, that’s…I use, but not a lot of people to tell the truth, but it’s kind of like a…a bit of a joke.  Ahh, a bit of a joke, okay, I like it…yeah, I think it’s cute.

but, maybe you’re healthy but not much alive, this is a bit of a joke

sveikas, bet nelabai gyvas   
healthy, but not very alive (male)

sveikas, bet nelabai gyvas   
healthy, but not very alive (male)

sveika, bet nelabai gyva     
healthy, but not very alive (female)

sveika, bet nelabai gyva      
healthy, but not very alive (female)

sveikas gyvas can also be used as a greeting

sveikas gyvas!                 
Hi! (to a male)

sveikas gyvas!                  
Hey! (to a male)

sveika gyva!                    
Hi! (to a female)

sveika gyva!                    
Hey! (to a female)

if you’re having a bad day, week or month (I hope not years) you could say...

vos gyvas                      
hardly alive (male)

vos gyvas                      
almost dead (male)

vos gyva                       
more dead than alive (female)

vos gyva                       
hardly alive (female)

vos is the Lithuanian word for hardly.  Okay, so, on the next episode of Lithuanian Out Loud, you will be listening to Lithuanian Out Loud…enjoy, have fun.  On the next episode of Lithuanian Out Loud, we’ll go over some new ways to say goodbye!  Congratulations for getting through another lesson.  Šaunuoliai – Congratulations!

---

To leave us comments call our voicemail number that’s in the title of every show or call our Skype voicemail at Lithuanianoutloud – that’s one word, and leave us a message there.

If you’d like to see the Lithuanian spelling of any word in this series just go to WWW dot Lithuanian dot L I B S Y N dot com.

If you’d like to get these lessons every time a new one is available just go to iTunes and do a search for Lithuanian Out Loud and click subscribe.  It’s completely free.  But, if you don’t want to subscribe on iTunes, just send us an email asking us to alert you every time a new episode hits the internet.  And feel free to make copies of our lessons, put them on cds and pass them out to your friends.

Oneness City online interactive Lithuanian lessons from Vilnius University
http://www.oneness.vu.lt/lt/

Thanks to CCMixter.org, Ditto Ditto and Vieux Farka Toure for the podcast music.

Thanks for tuning in, tell your friends about us, we’ll see you on the next episode of Lithuanian Out Loud.

I’m Jack and I’ve never met a Lithuanian I didn’t like.  Viso gero!  Sudie!

http://www.Lithuanian.Libsyn.com
Skype voicemail:  Lithuanianoutloud
email Raminta and Jack at: lithuanianoutloud@earthlink.net
Thanks to:  CCMixter.org, ditto ditto, and Vieux Farka Touré for allowing us to use the music for this podcast.
http://www.vieuxfarkatoure.com/
http://www.ccmixter.org/