Ask and answer closed questions and languages spoken in Lithuanian
In some instances, we already have an impression or supposition about someone during the initial encounter. Instead of asking an open-ended question such as "where are you from?" (which we covered in the previous module), you might opt to make a guess like "are you Chinese?" based from your personal biases. This is the main difference between open-ended and closed questions.
Stereotypes are not encouraged, of course, but it is inevitable. We all have stereotypes about everyone based from our personal biases and how we are conditioned to view the world. We should, therefore, handle stereotypes delicately.
Open-ended questions are questions that leave more options for the respondents while closed questions have limited answers: yes and no (or, maybe). In this module, we will tackle expressions that entail closed questions. We will also introduce another information that can be a topic of conversation: languages.
These short courses are free and should not be used for profitable activities.
“Ar kalbate angliškai ?
- Taip, aš kalbu truputį lietuviškai.
Ar jūs suprantate filipinų kalba ?
- Ne, aš nesuprantu rusiškai taip pat.”
Closed questions
In English, an indicator of a closed question is the word "do". In Lithuanian, the closest equivalent of "do" is ar. Let's take the two questions in the dialogue: Ar kalbate angliškai ? Do you speak English? Ar jūs suprantate filipinų kalba ? Do you understand Filipino (language)?
Simply adding ar to the sentence structure gives you a closed question.
Answers to closed questions: yes and no
In the answers to the two questions, we find two practical expressions: taip (yes) and ne (no). Certainly, these answers suffice for closed questions. However, a good language learner does not stop to answer a question. A good language learner would search to practice and speak as much as they can. So, to elaborate your answers, you may want to answer affirmatively (taip) or negatively (ne), then elaborate or validate your affirmation or refutation.
kalbeti, kalba, kalbejo (to speak)
Ar kalbate angliškai ?
- Taip, aš kalbu truputį lietuviškai.
Translation :
Do you speak English?
- Yes, I speak a little bit of Lithuanian.
The first set of phrases in our dialogue uses the Lithuanian regular verb kalbeti, to speak. If you wish to ask someone which languages they are able (or unable) to speak, here are the conjugated forms of the verb kalbeti:
Aš kalbu
Tu kalbi
Jis/ji kalba
Mes kalbame
Jūs kalbate
Jie/jos kalba
In our sample sentence, we have the question: ar kalbate angliškai ? Do you speak English?. In the previous section, we have learned that ar is a determinant of a closed question which is equivalent to the English "do". So you know right away that your answer is limited to a taip (yes) or ne (no). Kalbate is the conjugated form of the verb kalbeti, (to speak) for the pronoun jūs. Finally, angliškai is (the) English (language).
✏️ Comment down below how to transform this formal question to a more casual tone. Which pronoun should you use? What should be the conjugation of the verb kalbeti?
If the answer is affirmative, simply say taip (yes) and confirm or elaborate by saying aš kalbu truputį lietuviškai (I speak a little bit of (the) Lithuanian (language).
What if your answer is negative? How do you negate a sentence in Lithuanian? Let's see the second set of sentences in our sample dialogue.
suprasti, supranta, suprato (to understand)
Ar jūs suprantate filipinų kalba ?
- Ne, aš nesuprantu rusiškai taip pat.
Translation:
Do you understand Filipino?
- No, I don't understand Russian as well.
The second set of phrases in our dialogue uses the Lithuanian regular verb suprasti, to understand. If you wish to ask someone which languages they are able (or unable) to understand, here are the conjugated forms of the verb suprasti:
Aš suprantu
Tu supranti
Jis/ji supranta
Mes suprantame
Jūs suprantate
Jie/jos supranta
In this sentence, our question is marked with the closed question indicator ar as well. Therefore, we know that it is answerable by a taip (yes) or ne (no).
✏️ Comment down below how to transform this formal question to a more casual tone. Which pronoun should you use? What should be the conjugation of the verb suprasti?
In this case the answer is negative. Aside from simply saying ne (no), you can confirm, elaborate or add other information by saying aš nesuprantu rusiškai taip pat (I don’t speak Russian as well). By simply adding ne before the verb, you are essentially negating the sentence. In English, this is done by adding “do” and “not” (shortened to “don't”) to the verb.
Additional vocabulary
Truputį translates to "a little bit"
Taip pat means "also/too/as well"
Languages
In our sample dialogue, we have brought up the following languages: lietuviškai, angliškai, filipinų kalba, rusiškai since they may come in handy for you. Here's a list of other languages in Lithuanian:
prancūziškai (French)
ispaniškai (Spanish)
japoniškai (Japanese)
korėjiečių kalba (Korean)
As you may observe, there are two indicators of languages spoken : -iškai or the additional word kalba. When you see (or hear) these word endings, then it probably means that the topic on languages is brought up.
O jūs ? Kokiomis kalbomis kalbate Jūs? Ar jūs kalbate lietuviškai ? Žinoma !
How about you? What languages do you speak? Do you speak Lithuanian? Of course (you do now)!
Was this helpful? There’s more to come! Let me know which topics you want to cover on future modules.
Follow this Pinterest board for other trivial information about the lietuviškai (Lithuanian language) and Lietuva (Lithuania).
With my “brolai” (brothers) from the Caucasus Region
My short Lithuanian Linguistic Biography
In 2017, 2018 and 2019, I was a recipient of the Lithuanian government scholarship for the winter and summer Lithuanian language and culture courses. However, I only chose to attend the summer courses given my work schedule. In those two months, I have learned as much as to introduce myself, get around, let others know what I need and am looking for and describe myself and those in my immediate surroundings. In the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), these skills are categorized in the A2 level. In this level, the language user is able to talk and ask questions about themselves and those of their immediate surroundings, regarding their immediate and personal needs. This level is enough to get you through the day to day necessities such as lodging, restaurant, hotel reservations, ordering food, buying in shops… just about anything you need to function better as a tourist or temporary visitor. Read more…
