Lithuanian Out Loud

Raminta is in Moscow this week as a guest of the Lithuanian Embassy digging into the Russian archives for her new book.  Too bad Jack is stuck at home painting the house.  The one thing you need to take from this episode is that the nominative or naming case is called, "vardininkas" in Lithuanian. declension = case there are seven declensions in Lithuanian naming case = nominative case vardininkas is the basic, primary name of all words vardininkas is the case used in dictionaries examples of vardininkas: nominative case                              vardininkas automobile                                       automobilis rytas                                               morning diena                                               day vakaras                                           evening Vilnius 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/

This week you learn where to party in Vilnius and how to ask for the restroom after drinking too heavily.  On the blogpage you'll find a link for watching Lithuanian television.  We’ll also go through the Lithuanian alphabet.  You should learn it, but if you don’t want to, well, no worries.  Enjoy! Vilnius hotspots recommended by Raminta: Club Pabo Latino, Trakų gatvė (gatvė = street) Club Absento Fėjos, Aušros Vartu gatvė Restaurant Žemaičiai, Vokiečių gatvė Recommended book:  Trise Prieš Mafiją by Daiva Vaitkevičiutė kudakuoja ir kudakuoja                  cackle and cackle zyzia ir zyzia                                 buzz and buzz trenkti laižiaką, feee!                      french kissing, ick! Here's the alphabet.  In parenthesis is the pronunciation. A a  (ah) Ą ą  (ą nosinė) B b  (bė) C c  (cė) "tsė" Č č  (čė) "chė" D d  (dė) E e  (e plačioji) Ę ę  (ę nosinė) Ė ė  (ė siauroji) F f  (ėf) G g  (gė) H h  (ha) I i  (i trumpoji) Į j  (į nosinė) Y y  (y ilgoji) J j  (jot) K k  (ka) L l  (ėl) M m  (ėm) N

Hey!  It's our first ever intermediate lesson!  What's the name of the largest city on Lithuania's west coast?  Do you pronounce it right?  Raminta's in stitches interviewing Jonas about cars.  Jonas likes the color red as much as he likes Soviet people.  Hmmm, does that mean he likes or dislikes red?  Raminta: Labas, pas tave...............ai, žodžiu neišeina.  :) Raminta:Labas, planuoju pirkti automobilį, norėjau pasiteirauti ką pasiūlytum? Hi, I’m planning to buy an automobile, I wanted to inquire, what do you advise? planuoti                                                         to plan pirkti                                                             to buy norėti                                                            to want pasiteirauti                                                     to inquire, to ask pasiūlyti                                                         to advise Jonas: Nu tai mašinų daug yra, daug yra visokių kaip sakant, visokių rūšių, o kokios tu norėtum? Well, the

Did you know Lithuanians are HIV resistant?  Wow!  Lithuanians are also amongst the tallest people in the world, about half have blonde hair and most Lithuanians have blue eyes.  Who knew?  Listen to the show to discover more... labas vakarėlis                       good evening ką darai?                              what's up? nieko, o tu?                          nothing, and you? nieko                                    nothing kaip sekasi?                          how are you? ką?                                      what? kaip sekasi?                          how are you? neblogai, ačiū, kaip sekasi?     not bad thanks, how are you? ypatingai gerai, ačiū               especially good, thanks iki pasimatymo!                    until we see each other again! iki!                                        see ya! blogai                                   bad lik sveikas!                           stay healthy! (to a male) lik sveika!                             stay healthy! (to a female) email

Are you familiar with the Lithuanian version of Wikipedia?  It's called Vikipedija.  You should take a look.  Even if you're a novice learner of Lithuanian you'll find it interesting.  Take a look at the photos and descriptions.  Vikipedija's address is listed below.  Enjoy! In today's lesson we learn some new greetings. Sveika!                    health! (to a female) Sveikas!                  health! (to a male) Kas naujo?              what's new? Nieko                     nothing Ate!                       bye! Sveiki!                   health! (to a group) Sveikos!                 health! (to a female group) Sveikutė!                 health! (diminutive - between girls only) Check out the Lithuanian version of Wikipedia.  Here's the homepage address: http://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagrindinis_puslapis 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.vieuxfarkat

Okay everyone!  Here we go!  Every fifth lesson will be a quick response lesson.  Say the Lithuanian Out Loud as fast as you can.  Keep repeating the lesson over and over again until you perfect it.  Good luck! hi!                                                        labas! how are you? (familiar)                          kaip gyveni? how are you? (formal)                           kaip jūs gyvenate? we                                                       mes I                                                           aš I'm doing good                                      aš gyvenu gerai we're doing good                                    mes gyvename gerai how are they doing?                               kaip jie gyvena? they're doing good                                 jie gyvena gerai how are they doing? (females)                kaip jos gyvena? they're doing good (females)                   jos gyvena gerai nice to meet you                                    malonu nice to meet you too

In Lithuania make sure you don't point with your index finger, it's considered by some to be rude.  If you really need to point at something just put all your fingers together and motion gently with your hand towards what you want someone to see.  Labas, aš Douglas (Dennis).                       Hi, I'm Douglas (Dennis). Labas, aš Raminta, malonu.                        Hi, I'm Raminta, my pleasure. Taip pat malonu, kaip gyveni?                   My pleasure too, how are you?  (tu) Labai gerai, ačiū, o tu?                              Very good, thanks, and you? Aš taip pat labai gerai, ačiū.                        I'm also very good, thanks. labai = very o = and ("o" generally indicates a change in subject or the introduction of a new idea into a conversation) labai malonu                                             very nice to meet you. Aš Dennis, laba diena.                                I'm Dennis, good day ("hello"). Aš Raminta, labai malonu.                         I'm Raminta, very nice to m

A train that crosses Lithuania but nobody gets on and nobody gets off?  Sandwiched between Lithuania and Poland is the Russian territory known as Kaliningrad.  Since it doesn't have a physical connection to Russia, Lithuania allows a train to cross Lithuanian territory but don't expect to be able to buy a ticket.  It's shut tight!  Today we continue working on the verb, gyventi.  email Raminta and Jack at:  lithuanianoutloud@earthlink.net Kaip jie gyvena?     How are they doing?  Jie gyvena gerai     They're doing good.  Kaip jos gyvena?    How are they doing? (all females) Jos gyvena gerai     They're doing good. (all females) 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/

Vilnius is the capital city of Lithuania but the countryside surrounding the city is still converting to the Lithuanian language. Long ago, Poland claimed Vilnius as a Polish city and they called it Vilno.  In this episode we continue working on the verb, gyventi (to live)... email Raminta and Jack at:  lithuanianoutloud@earthlink.net aš                                     I aš gyvenu                         I live aš gyvenu gerai                 I live good aš gyvenu gerai                 I'm doing good mes                                  we mes gyvename                  we live mes gyvename gerai          we live good mes gyvename gerai          we're doing good 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/

In Lithuania your pet can talk, but cover your ears!  The only thing they want to talk about on the one day they can form words is the how and when of your death!  This lesson we learn how to say the word, you.  Important stuff that.  tu                                   you (familiar) jūs                                  you (formal) kaip gyveni?                    how are you?  ("tu" is implied here) kaip tu gyveni?                how are you?  ("tu" used here for emphasis) kaip jūs gyvenate?           how are you?  kaip jūs gyvenat?             how are you? 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/

Okay everyone!  Here we go!  Every fifth lesson will be a quick response lesson.  Say the Lithuanian Out Loud as fast as you can.  Keep repeating the lesson over and over again until you perfect it.  Good luck! atsiprašau                                      I'm sorry nieko tokio                                    don't mention it lietuviškai                                      Lithuanian (lietuviškai is not capitalized) skanaus                                         bon apetit or buen provecho ačiū, skanaus                                 thanks, bon apetit ar skanu?                                       is it tasty? taip skanu, ačiū                              yes tasty, thanks kaip                                               how labas, kaip gyveni?                         hi, how ya doing? gerai, ačiū                                     good, thanks gyventi                                         verb meaning "to live" kaip gyvena Sandra?                     how's Sandra doing? Sandra

Did you know even Egyptian Pharoahs wore Baltic amber?  It's been all the rage for thousands of years.  It's a cornerstone of Lithuanian culture.  In fact the "Amber Road" was an important trade route between Lithuania and Rome in ancient Europe.  Here are some words and phrases featured in today's lesson... gintaras                                    amber gyventi                                     verb meaning "to live"   Kaip gyveni?                            How are you living?  ("tu") Kaip gyveni?                            How are you doing?   Kaip gyvena Andrius?               How's Andrius doing?   Kaip gyvena Sandra                 How's Sandra doing?   Kaip gyvena Austėja?               How's Austėja doing? Sandra gyvena gerai                 Sandra is doing good.   Kaip gyvena Vytis?                  How's Vytis doing?   Vytis gyvena gerai                   Vytis is doing good.   Kaip gyvena Kristina?              How's Kristina doing?   Kristina gyvena gerai               Kristina is doing good.

In 2002 thousands of skeletons were found at a construction site in a Vilnius suburb.  Who killed so many people and buried them in mass graves?  Listen in and find out.  Today we'll touch on the differences between formal and familiar speech. Labas, kaip gyveni?                  How are you doing? Gerai, ačiū                               good, thanks 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/

Have you ever sat down to have a nice meal of some airships?  No?  We'll explain it in today's lesson.  Not surprisingly, Lithuanians eat in the continental style.  In other words, knife in the right hand, fork in the left.  This episode we go over Lithuanian used during a meal.  skanaus                        bon apetit gero apetito                   bon apetit ar skanu?                      is it tasty? taip, skanu, ačiū            yes, it's tasty, thanks.  "ar" indicates a question which has a yes or no answer. 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/

Did you know some famous NFL players are Lithuanian?  How about Dick Butkus of the Chicago Bears?  Or Joe Jurevicius?  How about Johnny Unitas of the Baltimore Colts?  Some more basic words we can use in every day conversation are; Lithuanian                   lietuviškai (lietuviškai is not capitalized) I’m sorry                    atsiprašau don't mention it           nieko tokio 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/

Every fifth episode will be a quick response lesson.  We'll say the word or phrase in English and you say the Lithuanian Out Loud as fast as you can.  Keep repeating the lesson until you ace it all.  Good luck!  good morning                labas rytas cute hello                      labuka or labukas goodbye                        viso gero good day                       laba diena good evening                 labas vakaras good to meet you           malonu good to meet you too     taip pat malonu good afternoon              laba diena yes                               taip no                                 ne thank you                      ačiū you're welcome              prašom 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/  

The president of Lithuania is a Lithuanian American from Chicago, Valdas Adamkus.  In today's lesson we explain how Lithuanian families name their members.  Stasys Nutautas and Ona Nutautienė had a daughter named Alma Nutautaitė. Alma married Valdas Adamkus and changed her name to Alma Adamkienė.  Words on today's lesson;  taip                          yes ne                            no ačiū                          thank you prašom                     you're welcome 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/  

If you ever visit the home of a Lithuanian family we have some etiquette here for you.  Don't drink too much during your visit or you'll end up like Jack. Vytautas the Great was a 15th century Grand Duke of Lithuania and is considered a hero in present day Lithuania. laba diena                      good day or good afternoon malonu                          nice to meet you taip pat malonu              nice to meet you too 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/

Lithuanian is a very old language and the ability to speak it is a point of pride for any linguist.  The most popular sport in Lithuania is basketball.  Watch the Lithuanians at the next Summer Olympics.  Sooner or later they'll bring home the gold!  labas rytas                       good morning laba diena                        good day labas vakaras                   good evening viso gero                          goodbye Some Lithuanians say labą dieną instead of laba diena. Thanks to:  CCMixter.org, ditto ditto, and Vieux Farka Toure for allowing us to use the music for this podcast. http://www.Lithuanian.Libsyn.com email Raminta and Jack at: lithuanianoutloud@earthlink.net  http://www.vieuxfarkatoure.com/ http://www.ccmixter.org/

After scouring the internet for podcasts on learning Lithuanian and finding nothing, we decided to create a resource for anyone wanting to learn the language.  Raminta, a native speaker, and her North American husband Jack will step you through the language.  In this episode we go over... labas                                         hello labas rytas                                 good morning viso gero                                   goodbye labukas / labuka                         cute way to say "hi" Thanks to:  CCMixter.org, ditto ditto, and Vieux Farka Toure for allowing us to use the music for this podcast. http://www.Lithuanian.Libsyn.com Skype voicemail:  Lithuanianoutloud email Raminta and Jack at: lithuanianoutloud@earthlink.net  http://www.vieuxfarkatoure.com/ http://www.ccmixter.org/