Significado
Almost remembering something.
Contexto cultural
Lithuanians often snap their fingers or look at the ceiling when saying this, as if the word is physically floating in the air just above them. The 'Tip of the Tongue' (TOT) state is a major topic in psycholinguistics. Lithuanians are very aware of this as a 'universal' human glitch. In old times, if you couldn't remember a word, it was sometimes jokingly said that 'velnias liežuvį surišo' (the devil tied your tongue). On Lithuanian social media, people use the emoji 👅 or 🧠 to represent this state when they can't remember a meme or a link.
Gesture matters
When you say this, snap your fingers. It signals to Lithuanians that you are close to the answer and they should wait.
Don't overthink the 'Ant'
Remember it's always 'Ant' (on), never 'Virs' (above) or 'Po' (under).
Significado
Almost remembering something.
Gesture matters
When you say this, snap your fingers. It signals to Lithuanians that you are close to the answer and they should wait.
Don't overthink the 'Ant'
Remember it's always 'Ant' (on), never 'Virs' (above) or 'Po' (under).
Use 'Sukasi'
If you want to sound like a native, use 'Man sukasi ant liežuvio galo'. It sounds much more natural and expressive.
Ask for help
In Lithuania, saying this is an invitation for others to guess the word for you. Don't be offended if they start shouting names!
Ponte a prueba
Fill in the correct form of the words 'liežuvis' and 'galas'.
Man tas žodis ant _________ _________.
After 'ant', we need the genitive case for both words.
Which sentence is the most natural way to say 'It's on the tip of my tongue'?
Select the best option:
Lithuanian uses the dative 'man' for this expression.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Kaip vadinasi tavo šuo? B: Oi, palauk... _________.
This is the standard way to explain a temporary name lapse.
Match the phrase to the situation.
You are in a meeting and forget a colleague's name.
If you feel you almost know it, 'ant liežuvio galo' is best.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Ayudas visuales
Forgetting Levels
Banco de ejercicios
4 ejerciciosMan tas žodis ant _________ _________.
After 'ant', we need the genitive case for both words.
Select the best option:
Lithuanian uses the dative 'man' for this expression.
A: Kaip vadinasi tavo šuo? B: Oi, palauk... _________.
This is the standard way to explain a temporary name lapse.
You are in a meeting and forget a colleague's name.
If you feel you almost know it, 'ant liežuvio galo' is best.
🎉 Puntuación: /4
Preguntas frecuentes
12 preguntasYes, it is most commonly used for names. 'Jo vardas man ant liežuvio galo.'
No, it's a natural human experience. It's much better than just saying 'I forgot'.
'Ant liežuvio galo' means you almost remember. 'Išgaravo iš galvos' means it's completely gone.
No, you can just say 'Man ant liežuvio galo' and the context will explain what you forgot.
Younger people might say 'Užstrigo' (It's stuck), but 'ant liežuvio galo' is still very common.
Usually no. It's specifically for words, names, or discrete pieces of information.
Because the preposition 'ant' requires the genitive case in Lithuanian.
You can, but it sounds like a translation from English. 'Man ant liežuvio galo' is the native way.
You can say: 'Aha! Prisiminiau! Tai buvo...'
Yes, very often in dialogue to show a character's hesitation or excitement.
Not at all. It's just a description of a mental state.
Technically yes ('ant liežuvių galų'), but it's almost never used that way.
Frases relacionadas
Išgaravo iš galvos
contrastCompletely forgotten
Užkrito ant smegenų
similarTo have a mental block
Surišti liežuvį
specialized formTo be tongue-tied
Ištraukti žodį
builds onTo pull the word out
