Lithuanian Out Loud

Hey there!  This is Jack and welcome back to Lithuanian Out Loud.  First off, I need to apologize to anyone who’s sent us an email with a gmail address.  Unfortunately, our spam blocker was working overtime again and blocked these emails and we never got them.  We’re very sorry for the error.  So, if you have a gmail address and you sent us an email and did not get a response, please send it again and we promise to reply this time.  Sorry about that. I’d like to thank Aldona of Los Angeles, California for coming on the show and helping us record this episode.  Aldona teaches Lithuanian and she was kind enough to spend about an hour with us working on this episode.  Thanks a million Aldona! Just for clarification, this episode only covers regular nouns, we’ll cover some irregular nouns in upcoming episodes.  Well, Raminta will be here in just three days!  Woohoo!  So, this episode should be the last one you listen to using Skype for quite some time.  After today we’ll be providing much better audio.  Also, as

Hi there, this is Jack and welcome back to Lithuanian Out Loud where we offer the world the Lithuanian language.  I’m recording this introduction about one hour prior to this week’s podcast release.  At the moment Raminta is on a train from New York City to Washington D.C. and next week she’ll be back home and I’m excited about that! In a previous episode we featured LCC International University in Klaipėda, Lithuania.  Today we have a guest from a completely different university.  Today we’d like to welcome to the show Virginija Jurgaitytė from Klaipėda University – not to be confused with LCC.  Virginija was very gracious to take a half hour out of her schedule.  She tells us about the university and, of course, helps us with the vocabulary.  Thank you again Virginija for coming on the show.  It was very kind of you. Just so you know, Virginija and I did speak a little in Lithuanian at the end of the episode but Raminta isn’t here right now to help me transcribe the conversation.  I’d hate to make some mist

Hi there, I’m Jack and welcome back to Lithuanian Out Loud where we offer the world the Lithuanian language.  There are three things that we haven’t been very happy with on our podcasts.  Number one is audio.  Whenever Raminta is on the road we record the episodes using Skype.  It’s a great tool but the quality just isn’t the best.  Just so you know, we’re working on this problem and we think we’ve come up with an answer.  When Raminta is on a trip we’re going to use Skype but I’ll have a Zoom H2 recorder sitting in front of me and Raminta will have an H2 sitting in front of her.  After we’re done recording she’ll send me her audio file, I’ll slap both our files together and we should have some super audio.  It’s exciting to me. The second thing we haven’t been happy with is variety on the episodes.  We love doing the basics but we’d like to do more intermediate material.  We’ve got some interesting stuff planned and you should start to see more intermediate episodes by the end of May or early June. The third

Hi there, I’m Raminta – Oh, you’re not Raminta.  Hi there, I’m Raminta and I’m Jack and welcome back to Lithuanian Out Loud where we offer the world the Lithuanian language. Hey!  We’re in a new month.  In English this month is called May, after the Greek goddess Maia.  The Romans associated Maia with their own goddess Bona Dea, the “good goddess."  She’s the goddess of fertility, virginity, and women. Bona Dea had festivals in this month.  In Lithuanian this month is called Gegužė.  Gegužė is derived from gegutė, the cuckoo bird. The call of the cuckoo tells everyone spring has arrived.  Woohoo!  Good news.  I’m ready for spring. France and Lithuania are the two most nuclear power dependant nations in the world.  In 2004, 80% of Lithuania’s electrical power came from nuclear power according to the Wikipedia page entitled, Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. As a condition of joining the European Union, Lithuania agreed to close Ignalinos atominė elektrinė.  Why is Lithuania required to close it down?  Safety.  Unf

Vienas, vienas, vienas!  Crazy guys, with you again!  Okay, Hi there, I’m Raminta and I’m Jack and welcome back to Lithuanian Out Loud where we offer the world the Lithuanian language.  European Route 67 is a highway that runs through Lithuania on its way between Prague and Helsinki.  It’s known as the Via Baltica and the section between Tallinn, Estonia and Helsinki is covered by ferries that depart 20 times daily.  Oh, so nice, you speak so well.  Oh, thank you.  To improve the Via Baltica, Poland plans to build the Augustow bypass through the Rospuda Valley Wetlands just south of the Lithuanian border.  The European Union filed an injunction against this work because of the damage it would cause to the protected wetlands.  Poland faces fines if it continues with the project. --- Hey there!  Before Raminta and I get to the episode we recorded about six weeks ago, I wanted to go over some notes. A listener wrote in with a good question asking about some terms of endearment we went over in previous episodes;

Hi there, I’m Jack and I’m Raminta and welcome back to Lithuanian Out Loud where we offer the world the Lithuanian language. According to the free encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Šiauliai is the home to the Hill of Crosses or Kryžių kalnas.  Beginning around 1831 people started leaving crosses on the hill.  During the Soviet Occupation of Lithuania between 1944 and 1990 the Russians bulldozed the hill three times but the crosses, crucifixes, carvings of national heros, effigies and rosaries were rebuilt.  There are no official rules regarding the hill so anyone who wishes can leave an object of their choosing. Oh, did you know, that we, I think it was 19…1985 when my grandmother, my father and me drove to the Hill Cross of Šiauliai and left a cross and my father was digging and my grandma…and I was playing there and we were kind of…fast, fast, fast, that nobody would see.  Why?  Oh, you had to go fast because of the Soviets.  Right somebody can, you know, you can get into trouble.  Ah, so it was at night or during t

Keturioliktas Egzaminas.  This is a quick response episode!  We’ll say the word or phrase in English and you say it in Lithuanian – Out Loud!  It’s too late for questions, the exam starts now.  Ready, set, go! this, that                                                      tai I like the city                                               man patinka miestas I like England                                               man patinka Anglija I like this                                                      man tai patinka I like that                                                      man tai patinka I like the university                                        man patinka universitetas I like Lithuania                                              man patinka Lietuva I like it                                                          man tai patinka do you like Kaunas? (tu)                                ar tau patinka Kaunas? do you like the color? (tu)                              ar tau patinka spalva? do yo

Tryliktas Egzaminas.  This is a quick response episode!  We’ll say the word or phrase in English and you say it in Lithuanian – Out Loud!  Too late for questions, the exam starts now.  Ready, set, go! how are you?                                        kaip sekasi? who me? good, thanks, and you?            ar aš? gerai, ačiū, o jūs? very good, thanks, and you?                   labai gerai, ačiū, o jūs? excellent!  thanks, and you?                     puikiai!  ačiū, o jūs? not bad, you?                                         neblogai, o jūs? bad, and you?                                       blogai, o jūs? very bad, and you?                                labai blogai, o jūs? so – so                                                 šiaip sau hello! (to a male)                                    sveikas gyvas! hello! (to a female)                                sveika gyva! I’m healthy and alive! (male)                  sveikas ir gyvas! I’m healthy and alive! (female)                sveika ir gyva

Okay, so are you ready to do another lesson?  Let’s work with energy, with energy please!  Woohoo!  I’m excited too!   Hi there, I’m Jack and I’m Raminta and welcome back to Lithuanian Out Loud where we offer the world the Lithuanian language.  Today we’re in the month of April which in Lithuanian is balandis. The common word in Lithuanian for horse is arklys.  According to the Wikipedia page entitled, Ašvieniai, another word for horse is ašvienis.   Is that true?  You know I – first time hear that word.  Aha, interesting, the first time you heard this word, huh?  It’s like really old maybe or something – you’d never understand what it… In the old Lithuanian religion ašvieniai are twin spirits carved into the roof of some houses to protect the house from evil spirits.  Sometimes ašvieniai are presented as the twin horses who pull Saulė’s chariot through the sky. (note: in this episode we describe angliškai, lietuviškai, ispaniškai, itališkai, etcetera, as adjectives, when in fact, they are adverbs.  Thanks to

Hi, this is David in Boston and you’re listening to Lithuanian Out Loud, the first and foremost Lithuanian language lesson series via podcast.  Let Raminta and Jack be your guides to this unique and beautiful language.  And now, here’s Raminta and Jack. Hey David in Boston!  Thanks a million for the plug.  Great job!  You must have your own radio show right?  Well, we really appreciate you taking the trouble to do that for us.  The more people we have involved in the show, the more fun it is.  David also left us some other comments that we’ll use in an upcoming episode.  Thanks, David.  If anyone else would like to leave us a plug, we’d love to have one from you. Before we get to the episode Raminta and I recorded a few weeks ago we want let you know we appreciate those of you who’ve helped with the iTunes reviews.  Our goal is to have 50 positive reviews on iTunes.  As of today, we have 15.  Can you help us out?  Even if you don’t use iTunes, if you know someone who does, just ask them to leave the review fo

Dvyliktas Egzaminas.  This is a quick response episode!  We’ll say the word or phrase in English and you say it in Lithuanian – Out Loud!  It’s too late for questions, the exam starts now.  Ready, set, go! straight ahead                                   tiesiai back                                                 atgal here                                                  čia right here                                          štai čia to the left                                          į kairę to the right                                        į dešinę there                                                 ten no, not here, over there                      ne, ne čia, ten here?                                                čia? yes, here                                           taip, čia wait for me here five minutes, please    palaukite manęs čia penkias minutes, prašau have a good day!                                geros dienos! goodbye!                                            sudie! have

Vienuoliktas Egzaminas.  This is a quick response episode!  We’ll say the word or phrase in English and you say it in Lithuanian – Out Loud!  It’s too late for questions, the exam starts now.  Ready, set, go! Here we are making toasts while drinking.  Hint – these toasts are in the accusative case. for you! formal                            už jus! for you! informal                          už tave! for Lithuania!                               už Lietuvą! for Australia!                               už Australią! for Ireland!                                  už Airiją! for Egypt!                                   už Egiptą! for England!                                 už Angliją! for Brazil!                                    už Braziliją! for Botswana!                               už Botsvaną! for Jack!                                      už Džiaką! for Raminta!                                už Ramintą! masculine numbers zero                                           nulis one                    

Hey, hey, hey!  Hey, hey, hey, what you say?  How are you doin’ love?  I’m doing good today.  I’m glad to hear that.  Yeah, today the weather is really bad.  Hi there, I’m Jack and I’m Raminta and welcome back to Lithuanian Out Loud where the lessons are free and you’ve got a money back guarantee. Today we’re in the month of April which in Lithuanian is balandis. According to the Wikipedia page entitled, “Coat of arms of Lithuania,” the Vytis was the Lithuanian state emblem of the Republic of Lithuania until 1940, when the nation was invaded by the Soviet Union and all national symbols were outlawed.  On 11 March 1990, Lithuania declared its independence again and restored its national symbols, including the Vytis.  The name of the Vytis is related to the verb, vyti – to chase.  Today the Vytis is a rider on a white horse on a red background. Remember back in episode 0034 when we told you about the Battle of the Sun of 1236?  That was the battle where the Lithuanians all but wiped out the invading German Livo

Hi there, I’m Jack and I’m Raminta and welcome back to Lithuanian Out Loud where we offer the world the Lithuanian language. Hey!  We’re in a new month!  In English the month of April is derived from the latin verb which means, “to open.”  In the northern hemisphere flowers and trees start to open. In Lithuanian this month is known as balandis. Balandis is the Lithuanian word for pigeon.  In the month of balandis, the pigeon is starting to build nests and mate. Since the episode when I asked for some reviews on iTunes we got five new reviews and I’d like to thank everyone who went to the trouble to give us one.  If you use iTunes and if you haven’t had time yet to give us a review, would you consider doing that for us today?  We’d really appreciate it.  Thanks! Mentioning our statistics for Lithuanian Out Loud isn’t something we plan to do regularly but we felt like doing it today.  March was an amazing month for us.  We had over 10,000 downloads and the downloads so far in April have been much stronger.  Loo

Dešimtas Egzaminas. This is a quick response episode!  We’ll say the word or phrase in English and you say it in Lithuanian – Out Loud!  It’s too late for questions, the exam starts now.  Ready, set, go! the price                                 kaina the American male                  amerikietis the American man’s name        amerikiečio vardas the American man’s house        amerikiečio namas the American man’s wife         amerikiečio žmona the Vilnius man                       Vilnietis the Vilnius man’s car                Vilniečio mašina the Vilnius man’s name             Vilniečio vardas Vytis’ daughter                        Vyčio duktė Vytis’ house                            Vyčio namas the hotel                                 viešbutis the hotel restaurant                  viešbučio restoranas the hotel room                        viešbučio kambarys the hotel restroom                   viešbučio tualetas a newspaper                           laikraštis the newspaper’s price               l

Devintas Egzaminas.  This is a quick response episode!  We’ll say the word or phrase in English and you say it in Lithuanian – Out Loud!  It’s too late for questions, the exam starts now.  Ready, set, go! I love you                             Aš tave myliu I really love you                    Aš tave labai myliu hi love! (male or female)        labas meile! hi dear! (female)                    labas brangioji! hi dear! (male)                       labas brangusis! sweetheart! (female)               mylimoji! sweetheart! (male)                 mylimasis! happy holidays!                     su šventėm! happy new year!                    laimingų naujųjų metų! happy birthday!                     su gimimo diena! all or everything                   viskas thanks for everything            ačiū už viską help                                    pagalba thanks for the help               ačiū už pagalbą compliment                          komplimentas thanks for the compliment    ačiū už komplimentą invi

Ready Freddy?  Ready Freddy!  Hi there, I’m Jack and I’m Raminta and welcome back to Lithuanian Out Loud where we offer the world the Lithuanian language. Labas everybody, this is Jenny from Sweden and you’re listening to Lithuanian Out Loud with Jack and Raminta, enjoy!  Thanks, Jenny for sending us the plug and letting us use it.  You’re awesome!  Anyone else want to send us a plug?  We’re listening! According to the web page Global Lithuanian Net; Cosmology of the Ancient Balts, one of the most important sky gods of the old Lithuanian religion was, as we‘ve mentioned before, Perkūnas, the Lithuanian Thundergod.  He was powerful and could easily be angered.  He was (or is he still?) the cleanser of the Earth from the power of evil.  Perkūnas is stern, bearded and powerfully built and he crosses the skies in a fiery chariot drawn by swift horses or at times he woud ride a single fiery horse. His head is surrounded by flames.  In one hand he holds lightning bolts and in his other hand a heavy stone axe.  Star

Hi there!  This is Jack and welcome back to Lithuanian Out Loud where my wife Raminta and I offer the world the Lithuanian language.  Before we get started I want to announce that in the future we’re going to do a catch-up episode.  In previous episodes we taught you how to say what country you’re from and we’ve described nationalities for males and females.  The list of nationalities listening to the podcast has grown since then and we want you to be able to say these things in Lithuanian about your own country.  If you are from a nation that we have not mentioned on the podcast yet please let us know what that nation is.  Just send us an email.  The list of nationalities that we have so far are, Lithuania, United Kingdom, Netherlands, France, Croatia, Ireland, Russia, Egypt, Botswana, Nigeria, Brazil, United States, Australia, Angola, Indonesia, Malaysia, Belgium and this week we welcome Sweden!  Hej!  On the catch-up episode we want to include the nations we’ve missed in previous episodes.  So, don’t let y

Aštuntas Egzaminas Examination 8 This is a quick response episode!  We’ll say the word or phrase in English and you say it in Lithuanian – Out Loud!  It’s too late for questions, the exam starts now.  Ready, set, go! the location                               vieta the color                                   spalva the country                                šalis a quality                                    kokybė a car                                         mašina a flat                                         butas the dog                                      šuo the stone                                   akmuo the person                                 asmuo water                                        vanduo an uncle                                   dėdė the woman                                moteris the station                                 stotis the sister                                   sesuo the daughter                              duktė the daughter-in-law                    marti

Somebody’s knockin’ on the door, somebody’s ringin’ the bell. Okay!  Vietininkas? Vietininkas! Gerai, hi there!  I’m Jack and I’m Raminta and welcome back to Lithuanian Out Loud where the lessons are free and you’ve got a money back guarantee. Do you remember the word for the month of March in Lithuanian? …kovas. According to the Wikipedia page entitled, Vilnius Cathedral or Vilniaus Šv. Stanislovo ir Šv. Vladislovo arkikatedra bazilika, Vilnius Cathedral is located at the heart of the old town of Vilnius.  Perkūnas, the Lithuanian Thundergod was most likely worshipped at the site where the Cathedral now stands.  In 1251 when King Mindaugas allowed himself to be baptized into the Catholic Church, he ordered the original cathedral to be built.  After his assassination in 1268 it was again a place of worship for the traditional Lithuanian religion.  Over the centuries the Cathedral has seen many fires, renovations, wars, and massive public demonstrations.  It’s one of the must sees on any Vilnius vacation. Šaun