Skip to main content
Lithuanian A2|Back to module/PracticeDashboard

The verb “to be”

Build short identity sentences that sound real

Lesson 1/5
A1/About Me/Lesson 115 min

The verb “to be”

Build short identity sentences that sound real

Describe yourself and other people with short identity sentences in calm, usable Lithuanian.

Unlock

You unlock the identity frame: “Aš esu…”, “Tu esi…”, “Jis yra…”, “Ji yra…”, “Mes esame…”, “Jūs esate…”, and the first negative “Aš nesu…”.

A new adult learner introducing themselves to a teacher at the start of an evening class in Lithuania.
Step 1

Teacher explanation

This small verb carries many beginner identity sentences. Learn it as a family of usable chunks, not as a dry grammar table.

At first, keep the sentence short: person + būti + identity word. One clean sentence is better than a long unstable one.

Use it first

Key language

Aš esu…
I am…
Example
Aš esu Tomas.
I am Tomas.

Audio preview is unavailable on this device.

Tu esi…
You are… (informal)
Example
Tu esi mano draugas.
You are my friend.

Audio preview is unavailable on this device.

Jis yra…
He is…
Example
Jis yra mano kaimynas.
He is my neighbor.

Audio preview is unavailable on this device.

Ji yra…
She is…
Example
Ji yra mokytoja.
She is a teacher.

Audio preview is unavailable on this device.

Mes esame…
We are…
Example
Mes esame draugai.
We are friends.

Audio preview is unavailable on this device.

Jūs esate…
You are… (formal or plural)

Useful with one person politely or with more than one person.

Example
Jūs esate studentas.
You are a student.

Audio preview is unavailable on this device.

Aš nesu…
I am not…

The negative starts with ne-: esu -> nesu.

Example
Aš nesu turistas.
I am not a tourist.

Audio preview is unavailable on this device.

Pattern spotlight

Positive and negative identity

Keep the sentence frame and change only the verb: esu -> nesu, esi -> nesi, yra -> nėra. Start with the forms you will use most often.

Aš esu studentė. / Aš nesu studentė.
I am a student. / I am not a student.
Jis yra mano kaimynas. / Jis nėra mano kaimynas.
He is my neighbor. / He is not my neighbor.
Mes esame draugai.
We are friends.
Input

First evening class

Two adults meet at the beginning of a community language course.

Rūta
Laba diena. Aš esu Rūta.
Hello. I am Rūta.
Pavlo
Laba diena. Aš esu Pavlo.
Hello. I am Pavlo.
Rūta
Ar jūs esate studentas?
Are you a student?
Pavlo
Taip, aš esu studentas. O jūs?
Yes, I am a student. And you?
Rūta
Aš esu mokytoja.
I am a teacher.
Check yourself
Reading

Micro-reading

Aš esu Rasa. Jis yra Darius. Jis nėra turistas. Jis yra mano kaimynas.
I am Rasa. He is Darius. He is not a tourist. He is my neighbor.
Find the negative sentence with nėra.
Say or write

Guided output

Say it yourself
Pasakykite: Aš esu Dalia.
Say: I am Dalia.
Pause 4s
Show sample answer
Aš esu Dalia.
I am Dalia.
Pasakykite: Mes esame kaimynai.
Say: We are neighbors.
Pause 5s
Show sample answer
Mes esame kaimynai.
We are neighbors.
Paneikite sakinį: Aš esu turistas.
Make this sentence negative: I am a tourist.
Pause 5s
Show sample answer
Aš nesu turistas.
I am not a tourist.
Write a short “Who am I?” paragraph

Imagine you are introducing yourself on the first day of a class. Write 3-4 short identity sentences.

  • •Use 'Aš esu...' at least once
  • •Use one negative sentence with 'Aš nesu...'
  • •You can reuse something from earlier lessons, for example your name or where you are from
Practice

Quick practice

Which sentence means “We are friends”?
Aš ___ studentas.
Match the person with the correct form of būti.
Select a phrase on the left, then choose its match on the right.
Prompt
Match
Put the negative sentence in order.
Answer area
Tap the tokens below to build the sentence.
Token bank
Write one positive and one negative identity sentence.
0/5 activities attempted
Practice score: 0%
Support

Learner notes

English support
Pronunciation
  • • Say yra in two clear beats: y-ra.
  • • Break esame into e-sa-me.
Watch for
  • • English has am/is/are, but Lithuanian gives you a different form for each person. Learn them as a small family.
Tip
  • • Practice the pairs aloud: aš esu / aš nesu, jis yra / jis nėra.
You can now

I can say who I am, say who another person is, and make a short identity sentence negative.

35 XP

Finish this lesson

Finish the writing task and choose a self-check before completing the lesson. 0/6 completed.