# Lithuanian: Aš kalbu lietuviškai / angliškai



## Setwale_Charm

Which case is this "ai" ending? 
And how do I decline the following:
Az kalbu (Italian/Spanish/Swedish/Danish)?

Az kalbu lenkiskai - az mokausi ..... kalba?


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## karuna

It is probably not a noun case but a derivative. Following the pattern in the subject line I would say: _Aš kalbu itališkai, spaniškai, švediškai, daniškai. 

_And maybe: _aš mokausi lenku kalba _(but I think it should be u nosene).
This is all my speculation only. I don't speak Lithuanian.


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## deine

karuna said:


> It is probably not a noun case but a derivative. Following the pattern in the subject line I would say: _Aš kalbu itališkai, ispaniškai, švediškai, daniškai. _
> 
> And maybe: _aš mokausi lenkų kalbos _(but I think it should be u nosene).
> This is all my speculation only. I don't speak Lithuanian.


 
In this sentence it is not a noun case as karuna said. 
Ending "-ai" shows how I/you/he speak: 
Italian - _itališk*ai*_, 
Spanish - _ispanišk*ai*_ and so on.

Aš mokausi lenk*ų* kalbos - I am learning Polish (language). (Ending "-ų" shows what language I/you/he learn)


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## Setwale_Charm

Didelis aciu!


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## Kassikakk

Generally speaking, the '-ai' ending here is the same that is used to construct adverbs from adjectives, much like -ly in English. For instance, 'lenkiškas' - 'Polish' is an adjective, hence 'aš kalbu lenkiškai' could be deciphered as 'I'm speaking (or I speak) Polish-ly'. I think this could mean both 'I speak/I'm speaking Polish' (alternatively, one could probably say 'aš kalbu lenkų kalbą' (accusative)) or 'I speak/I'm speaking _in_ Polish' (= 'aš kalbu lenkų kalba' (instrumental)). 'Lenkų' here is just the plural genitive of 'lenkas' - 'the Polish' as a noun, i.e. 'the language of the Polish'.

'Mokytis', according to most sources, requires genitive, hence 'aš mokausi ... kalbos'. However, I remember some Lithuanians telling me that with accusative it also sounds fine, so I'm a little confused there myself. Genitive seems a safe choice, though.

That's how I see it, anyway.


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## kusurija

Lithuanian: (where root of word strongly differs from english) other languages:

vokiškai/vokiečių k. - german
suomiškai/ suomių k. - finnish
latviškai - lettish
vengriškai - hungarian
gruziniškai - georgian
kiniškai - chinese
olandiškai - dutch/taal
flamandiškai/flamandų k. - flemish
ispaniškai - spanish
prancūziškai - french
...


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## Setwale_Charm

Thank you all!!! I fear my Lithuanian is so basic as yet, these are just the first steps that I still have so much to penetrate into


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