In this lesson you will learn five common Lithuanian greetings and farewells: Labas, Laba diena, Viso gero, Labas rytas, and Labas vakaras. You will see when each one is appropriate and practice them in a short exchange.
Objectives
- Recognize and say five common Lithuanian greetings and farewells.
- Choose an appropriate greeting or farewell for informal, polite, and time-specific situations.
- Take part in a short Lithuanian greeting and farewell exchange.
Phrases
Hello (informal)
Use with friends, family, and people you know well.Good day (polite daytime greeting)
A safe polite choice with strangers, elders, officials, or anyone you address formally.Goodbye
A standard farewell that fits most situations, from casual to polite.Good morning
A time-specific greeting used in the morning.Good evening
A time-specific greeting used when you arrive or meet someone during the evening.Explanations
Informal hello: Labas
Labas is the everyday informal hello. Use it with friends, family, and people you already know well. It is not a formal greeting, so save it for people you address casually.
Polite daytime greeting: Laba diena
Laba diena is the standard polite daytime greeting. It is the safe choice with strangers, elders, officials, or anyone you address formally. Use it when you enter a shop, office, or other public place during the day.
Time-specific greetings and farewell: Labas rytas, Labas vakaras, Viso gero
Labas rytas means 'good morning' and Labas vakaras means 'good evening'; these are time-specific greetings, not simply more polite versions of labas. Viso gero is a standard farewell that fits most situations, from casual to polite. Use it when leaving a shop, ending a phone call, or saying goodbye to someone you have just met.
Dialogue
Hello!
Hello!
Goodbye!
Goodbye!
Pronunciation
Listen carefully to each recording, then repeat aloud, copying the speaker's rhythm and vowel sounds as closely as you can. Focus on matching what you hear rather than applying stress rules from another language. Practice the dialogue until Labas and Viso gero feel automatic in a short exchange.
Common mistake
Using Labas with an official or a stranger in a formal situation.
Use Laba diena as the polite daytime greeting with strangers, elders, officials, or anyone you address formally.
Practice
You meet a close friend on the street. Which greeting do you use?
Choose the informal everyday hello.
Show answer
LabasLabas is the everyday informal hello, so it fits meeting a close friend.
You enter a government office during the day and greet the official politely. Which greeting do you use?
Choose the standard polite daytime greeting.
Show answer
Laba dienaLaba diena is the standard polite daytime greeting, so it is the safe choice with an official during the day.
You are leaving a shop after buying something. Which farewell do you say to the cashier?
Choose the standard farewell that fits most situations.
Show answer
Viso geroViso gero is a standard farewell that fits most situations, including leaving a shop.
Use Labas with people you know well, Laba diena as the polite daytime greeting, and Viso gero as a standard farewell. Labas rytas and Labas vakaras are time-specific greetings for morning and evening.
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