Bedeutung
Asking for someone's family name.
Kultureller Hintergrund
The 2022 law change allows women to choose a neutral surname ending in -ė (e.g., Butkė instead of Butkutė or Butkienė) to avoid revealing marital status. Surnames ending in -as, -is, -us are typically masculine. When a man marries, his wife usually takes his name but changes the suffix to -ienė. It is considered very rude to use 'tavo' with someone older than you. Always use 'jūsų' unless they explicitly ask you to use 'tu'. Many Lithuanian surnames are related to nature (e.g., Vanagas - Hawk, Beržas - Birch). Asking about the meaning of a surname is a great conversation starter.
The 'Which' Rule
Always use 'Kokia' for names. Using 'Kas' makes you sound like a translation app.
The Gender Trap
Don't say 'Koks pavardė'. The 'ė' at the end of 'pavardė' is a loud signal that it's feminine!
Bedeutung
Asking for someone's family name.
The 'Which' Rule
Always use 'Kokia' for names. Using 'Kas' makes you sound like a translation app.
The Gender Trap
Don't say 'Koks pavardė'. The 'ė' at the end of 'pavardė' is a loud signal that it's feminine!
Social Media Hack
If you can't find someone on Facebook, ask 'Kokia tavo pavardė Facebooke?' as some people use maiden names or nicknames there.
Suffix Awareness
If a woman's name ends in -ienė, she is married. If it ends in -aitė, she is likely not. Use this to avoid awkward questions!
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the correct form of the interrogative pronoun (Koks or Kokia).
_______ tavo pavardė?
'Pavardė' is feminine, so we use 'Kokia'.
Choose the correct informal way to ask for a last name.
How do you ask a friend for their last name?
'Tavo' is informal, and 'Kokia' is the correct interrogative.
Match the person to the correct surname ending.
Match the following:
Lithuanian surnames are gender and status specific.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Labas, aš Jonas. O tu? B: Aš Lina. A: Malonu, Lina. _________?
In an introduction, asking for a last name is a natural next step.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Vardas vs Pavardė
Surname Suffixes
Men
- • -as
- • -is
- • -us
Married Women
- • -ienė
Unmarried Women
- • -aitė
- • -ytė
- • -ūtė
Aufgabensammlung
4 Aufgaben_______ tavo pavardė?
'Pavardė' is feminine, so we use 'Kokia'.
How do you ask a friend for their last name?
'Tavo' is informal, and 'Kokia' is the correct interrogative.
Ordne jedem Element links seinen Partner rechts zu:
Lithuanian surnames are gender and status specific.
A: Labas, aš Jonas. O tu? B: Aš Lina. A: Malonu, Lina. _________?
In an introduction, asking for a last name is a natural next step.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenLithuanian logic treats names as a choice from a category (Which one?), whereas 'Kas' asks for the definition of the concept itself.
No, it's better to use 'jūsų' for strangers unless they are clearly your age or younger.
Foreigners keep their original surnames. Lithuanians will just use your name as is, though they might add Lithuanian endings in documents.
Simply say 'Mano pavardė [Your Name]' or just '[Your Name]'.
Absolutely not. Use 'Kokia jūsų pavardė?' or wait for them to ask you.
It means 'the name that follows the name' or 'sub-name'.
No! It is a very important, long vowel sound. Never skip it.
No, children must use 'jūsų' with teachers, even if the teacher uses 'tavo' with them.
Kazlauskas, Jankauskas, and Petrauskas are among the most frequent.
Rarely, but some ancient surnames like 'Kregždė' (Swallow) exist. However, they don't change based on marriage for men.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Koks tavo vardas?
similarWhat is your first name?
Kokia jūsų pavardė?
specialized formWhat is your last name? (Formal)
Mergautinė pavardė
specialized formMaiden name
Vardas ir pavardė
builds onFull name
Pravardė
contrastNickname
